


Dark Waters

by Snokoms



Series: Changing Tides [1]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Bad friend Scott McCall, Creature Stiles Stilinski, Dreams and Nightmares, Hale Pack, Human Stiles Stilinski, Hurt, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, Kidnapping, Lonely Stiles Stilinski, McCall Pack, Post-Nogitsune, bad alpha scott mccall, hale family road trip time, lake monster, picking up extras everywhere, pre-Sterek - Freeform, sheriff stilinki is not a great dad, what happened to theo?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-04
Updated: 2020-10-13
Packaged: 2021-01-22 23:43:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 15
Words: 24,849
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21310579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snokoms/pseuds/Snokoms
Summary: He leaves the town on a Wednesday. About 6 miles from the sign saying, ‘You’re leaving Beacon Hills.’ it catches up to him.There is no escaping.
Relationships: Cora Hale & Derek Hale, Cora Hale & Stiles Stilinski, Derek Hale & Stiles Stilinski, Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Peter Hale & Malia Tate
Series: Changing Tides [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1731547
Comments: 98
Kudos: 227





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there
> 
> First of, this is the first fic i ever wrote (no school assingments don't count, there was no exitment there)  
dont hesitate to tell me if somethings wrong, english is not my first language. all mistakes are mine.
> 
> constructive critisism and love is very much appreciated, trying to shove this into the garbage can is not.
> 
> As of 4 april 2020 i have edited chapters 1-12 because me and the former story line did not agree. We do now, yeeeyy.
> 
> i hope you guys enjoy  
thanks for reading
> 
> i do not own teen wolf or its caracters  
i only own the plot/story  
i do not give permission for my work to be posted on other platforms

The first thing he notices upon waking up is the darkness. Like a thick blanket settling in around him. Chocking him. He can’t breathe. Why can’t he breathe? When he opens his eyes it’s still dark. Slowly he tries to move his head. It’s not working. For some reason the muscles in his neck aren’t cooperating. Moving his tongue to lick his lips he finds the gag in his mouth. That would explain why he can’t breathe. Trying to breathe through his nose helps a little but he’s still not getting enough oxygen. Ordering his arms upwards to remove the gag proves fruitless since they are bound together behind his back, just like his legs. 

So maybe not amateurs? Opening his mouth to scream he feels something move beside him pushing the gag further into his throat. Chocking on his gag reflex he tries to draw in air before passing out.

\---

The second time he wakes up his body is still bound. Checking the ropes, the burns on his wrists tell him that they are rather tight. Making his fingers tingle and become numb from the lack of fresh blood that is flowing through his veins. The small movements in his arms alert him to the substance surrounding him that is most certainly not air. In fact, it feels a bit like water. But if he is surrounded by water, then why doesn’t he feel the need to breath? 

With that though his brain seems to screech to a halt, before going in full panic mode. Does this mean he’s dead? He can’t be dead. He’s too young to die! There is still _so much_ he needs to do! His farther is never going to survive his death, he nearly broke when his wife, Stiles mother, died. Or the pack, those idiots will get themselves killed without him to figure everything out. 

That gives him pause, where is the pack? Slowly the darkness takes over again.

\---

The third time he wakes up, (is it really the third time?) he is still trapped under water. Although it feels different against his skin this time. Wait, skin? When did he get naked? Why is he naked? Don’t tell him he is naked for what he thinks he is naked for? Who is he kidding, is there any other reason for being naked? Just then a blinding pain shoots through his body. Burning him from the inside out, it’s like nothing he’s ever felt before. When the pain finally subsides a bit, the burning gets replaced with the feeling of something moving under his skin. 

Oh no, this isn’t happening. Not again. One time was enough thank you very much. He was not looking forward to another creatures taking a joyride in his body. One evil fox spirit was more than he wanted. Although, come to think of it, this doesn’t feel like it did with the nogitsune. In those months he had felt his mind being attacked before slowly losing more and more control over his body for longer periods of time. Right know it feels more physical. He is still fully there mentally but his body isn’t his anymore. Maybe it’s a more southern evil spirit? 

Before he can fully comprehend the extend of those thoughts another spike goes through his body, making his back arch and his mouth open in a silent scream. Is this what giving birth feels like? If it is, he didn’t envy the woman who willingly go through with this torture. 

With every spike of burning pain it stays a little longer until it feels like hours before the pain subsides enough in between spikes for him to breath properly again. 

It doesn’t take long before he loses consciousness again.

\---

Miles away, deep in the forests of Arizona with his sister Derek is suddenly overcome with a crippling pain. Starting in his heart and spreading throughout his entire body. All he can do is throw back is head in an all shattering howl before he loses his consciousness. Shocking Cora who came running back only to watch him fall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please dont forget to leave kudos and a comment if you liked it


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> why do I have the feeling that this is going to be one of the weirdest things my mind has ever made up?  
so the story doesnt follow the teenwolf timeline. it is sort-of canon all the way to the end of season 3 as far as i know. Its been a few years since i saw it though so there might be some changes.
> 
> i hope you like, dont forget to leave kudos or comment

He is running. Jumping over rocks and waving between the trees. Wind coursing through his fur. Letting out a loud howl he notices it reverberate around him. Letting out another howl, he stands with his front paws on a fallen tree basking in the feeling of the moon overhead when he feels it. 

There is someone else in these woods with him. Letting out one last howl he jumps over the tree and takes off further into the woods. Chasing the other.

\----

“Stop pacing or you’re going to make me seasick.” A loud voice says behind her. Cora snorts and turns around. Lifting one eyebrow she replies.

“Like anything could make you seasick.”

It took her three days to get Derek back to her packs main house. The amazon rain season not helping the slightest. She thought it would never stop raining (it did but only after she reached the house). Her brother was half delirious after he woke up. Mumbling words about how he needs to find it, to catch It, that It is watching him. 

They’re still waiting for the emissary to arrive and explain what’s wrong with Derek. Derek who, yet again, is passed out on the couch. How many naps does one guy need?

Apparently, a lot.

It took another 2 days before the woman finally arrived. Another three for her to conclude that she had absolutely no idea what was wrong with her brother. No matter how many potions or spells she tries. At this point, it is only a matter of days before Cora decides to bite her head off. After her brother collapsed in the forest, he hasn’t shifted once, can’t even flash his eyes. It is as if something is blocking the shift. The problem on that is unfortunately the same as all the other answers they have gotten so far. The woman has no idea since all her tests came out negative.

She is just about to call Stiles, knowing that her brother and the boy had gotten closer before they left, when her thump stops over her uncle’s name. Nervously she looks back at her brother. She doesn’t remember much of the man who would help her with her homework, and the stories from after he woke up were less then pleasant. Still she couldn’t shake the feeling that he might know something. After all, what is a left hand without knowledge, and Peter used to spend a lot of time in the library when he was home before it was burned down. It was the one place where she could always find him. Still not sure of what to do she decides to start on dinner and ask her brothers opinion when he wakes up. With one last glance on the body on the couch she starts walking away.

\----

Back in Beacon Hills the pack is slowly tickling in the McCall home for a pack night filled with pizzas and movies. When everyone is present Lydia demands they watch the notebook, like she always does, while Isaac tries to sneakily replace the notebook disc with an action movie. Not that it works. It isn’t long before laughter starts filling the room. It is the last school day and they’re all leaving for Lydia’s vacation house the next day for a well-earned few weeks of freedom. Three movies later they’re all drifting off to sleep in one big puppy pile (not that anyone is calling it that of course). Never once thinking about a certain boy who hasn’t shown up at school for the last three days.

\---

When Stiles wakes up, he can still feel something slowly moving under his skin. Spearing his eyes wide open, he can make out shadows moving around him. They come closer upon noticing he is awake. Promptly closing his eyes in the hope that whatever monster has kidnapped him this time will believe he is still asleep, he sends a wish to a goddess he has never believed in. Fate never seems to be on his side though, and it isn’t long before he feels something touch his cheek. He is stubbornly trying to keep his eyes closed and muscles unmoving in denial of his surroundings when he feels the clawed hand slowly moving towards his eyes. Opening them in the hope that it will stop its journey upwards and poke his eye out he starts glaring. Apparently channelling his inner Sourwolf helps and the hand disappears from his face. He is just about to start screaming at Crazy Kidnapper With Great Torture Techniques Not So Great Interrogations Techniques to let him go when the burning pain returns. 

Burning his overworked muscles and lighting his blood on fire. 

He screams it out. 

Within seconds he is trashing in place, futily trying to escape the knifes poking in his organs. It is in one of these movements that he hits his head against something, and black spots shortly take over his vision. Taking a quick decision, he starts hitting his head against the stone behind him again and again and again in the hopes of passing out before he literally feels his bones melt into a big pile of goo. He is going in and out of consciousness, his visions switching between the cave and what looks like a forest when he feels something trying to escape from his skin. Two heard beats later and something is splitting his spine and growing bigger. Changing him. Four heard beats later and it is fully outside him, (he hopes) quickly followed by a burning cold along his legs and the feeling that someone is trying to pull all of his toes out, not just the nails. The cold is moving over his legs like a spider making its web. 

It is a relieve when the forest that keeps flickering in and out of his vision takes over and the horror_painpainpain_ melts away into greens and browns.

When he opens his eyes, he is in a forest. In a different body. There is a werewolf somewhere behind him chasing him and the body lets out a playful growl. Running through the forest, all he can think about are the threes and animals around him. The other were tackles him to the ground and soon they're playfighting to get the upper hand. It feels like it goes on for hours when he feels something tug him back. Back to the lake. Back to the pain.

Panicking he quickly he tries to latch onto the wolf. Screaming for help before he is ripped away. The last thing he sees is the wolf shifting back to a familiar face before everything is black and painful again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dont forget to leave kudos and/or comments if you liked it


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> another short one, next ones going to be a bit longer

He is running, wind coursing through his fur. He almost caught the bunny that was just asking to be eaten when he feels it again. He isn’t alone. Raising his head with twitching ears he looks around for any sign of the other. The moon giving him just enough guidance to take off to his left. Chasing the presence. 

\----

“Peter.”

“What.”

“Uncle Peter, he could help. I called him.”

“Help. Help with what.” How anyone expected him to be coherent first thing when he wakes up is beyond him. Shaking off the remains of his dream he shuffles slowly to the kitchen for coffee when he hears Cora following him.

“With whatever is going on with you.” The ‘duh’ is heavily implead in her voice and eyebrows when he turns around.

“Wasn’t that emissary supposed to figure it out.”

“She didn’t.”

“You’re telling me I drank all those shit tasting potions for nothing?” He finally turns around and fully looks at her. Eyebrows in full scowl.

“Well at least she figured out what it wasn’t.” Derek snorted and turned back again. Fixing his much-needed coffee when he stills.

“You called Peter”

“Yes”

“What did he say”

“He, uhm, didn’t actually answer. I was just about to call again” At that he gives her a look and takes the leftovers out of the fridge. Too tired to warm them up he grabs a fork and sits down to start eating. When his sister still hasn’t moved, he looks at her and raises an eyebrow. Whatever she sees there puts her back into motion. After three rings the call is finally picked up.

“He- “

“Something is wrong with Derek and we don’t know what.”

“Well hello to you to dear niece. How is your day? Mine is quite nice thanks for asking.”

“He collapsed nine days ago out of nowhere and the local emissary can’t figure out why” When Peter doesn't immediately answer the siblings share a look.

“And how is this my problem?”

“He is still your family. Or do you care as little about him as you did about Laura?” She sneers into the phone, turning away from her brother. It’s quiet again before he softly answers.

“Send me your address, we will get there as fast as we can.” And promptly hangs up. Turning back to her brother with her eyebrows furrowed the two share a confused look. Who the hell could their uncle have meant when he said 'we'? After a few second Derek shrugs and continues eating. Whoever the other person or persons were, they would deal with it when they arrived. For now, there was food calling his name.

\----

Its three am when Peter is woken up by his niece calling. By four Malia and he are packed up and on their way to south America.

\----

John is just coming home for the first time in days, with Melissa still by his side. Still riding the glory of their last date. It had been a wonderful lunch; he might just actually have a chance with this amazing woman! 

That’s when he gets the call from school asking about his son. 

Apparently, there was another response from one of the schools the boy had applied to for early acceptance, if he or his son could come pick it up. And isn’t it wonderful that kids like his son exist that are just so smart to have a chance at something like that? Also is his son still sick? Please send him our best wishes to get better.

John is furious. Calling in sick and convincing the lady at the administration that he really couldn’t come to school. What is that for bullshit. He didn’t raise no cheater or school skipper. But then again, he also didn’t think he had raised a liar, a thief, or a murderer. With a sight the sheriff hangs up. Why couldn’t his son be a normal kid. Like Scott. No instead he is stuck with a lying piece of shit.

“Everything okay, John?” Melissa asks kindly.

“Yeah, you uh. You haven’t seen Stiles around lately, have you? Apparently, he has been skipping the last few days of school.”

“No, he hasn’t been around for a while. You sure everything is alright?”

“Yeah, don’t worry about it.”

“If you say so.” With a worried mind the woman left it alone. Mind silently wandering to the boy who is like a second son to her. Apart from his visits to the hospitals to bring some dinner to the nurses on shift she hadn’t seen him around for the past few months. And even than his visits had been slowly dwindling down for quite some time. With a bad feeling in her stomach she tries to shake her worries away. Surely Stiles was fine, if anyone could get himself out of crazy situations it was that boy. 

\----

Half a week later the sheriff’s department gets a call. A hitchhiker found a car in a ravine a few miles out of Beacon Hills. 

It’s a baby blue jeep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dont forget to leave kudos and/or comments if you liked it  
im curious to your thoughts


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They find the car

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is the longest i have written so fare. i want to thank everyone of you for reading. those of you who left kudo's and are still with me on this, you're amazing  
with a special thanks to TheCollector for commenting. i screamed in joy when i saw it  
(i might just give them a redemption)

“Beacon Hills sheriff’s department, how can I help you?”

“Uhm well. I was hiking, and it looks like something slipped of the road? It could be a car.”

“Alright, Ms. Can you tell me your name and where you are?”

“My name is Alexi Hills. I’m about six miles from Beacon Hills on the main road. I’m currently standing next to a broken tree and I think I see something down there.”

“Alright thank you, were sending a unit your way. Please stay on the line.”

“Thank you.”

“I need a unit to the main road. About six miles outside Beacon Hills. Possible car accident.”

“We’re on it”

It took about 15 minutes before Alexi saw the car coming her way. When a man and a woman stepped out, she quickly walked towards them.

“Are you Alexi Hills?” The man asked.

“Yes, it’s right over here.” Turning around she led the deputies to what she believed was a crash site.

“I noticed it when I was walking.”

“Why were you walking here all the way out here?”

“Well, I was supposed to get a lift home from a college friend, but she decided last minute to spend the break with her boyfriend. She had a pretty nasty fight with her mom. So, I took the bus and I’m hitchhiking the last part because my first ride got delayed making me mis my transfer. I don’t have the money for a motel and the bus only goes 2 times a day.”

“Alright. Thank you. This is where you think you saw something?”

“Yes. Over there. Something doesn’t seem right about those trees."

“Okay, we will take a look. If you could give us your contact info in case we have anymore questions, that would be great. After that you’re free to go.” While Parrish finished up with the girl, deputy Clarke started searching for the safest way to get down the ravine. Parrish took one look at it before suggesting picking up some climbing equipment.

30 minutes later they’re back at the side of the road and Parrish is halfway to the ground.

“I think it’s a car.”

“It’s definitely a car. Looks like a blue jeep. I can’t read the brand or license plate from here.”

“A blue jeep you say?”

“Yeah, why? You know someone who drives one?”

“The sheriff’s son.” That gives Parrish a small shock. The sheriff had a son? Sure, he wasn’t stationed in Beacon Hills for long. Just over three months in fact. And he had seen the pictures in the office with a woman and a small child. However, you could see that they were some pretty old pictures. Especially since he knew that the woman was out of the picture. Had been for quite some time. He thought the child had been too.

“This is deputy Clarke, can I get another unit out here. We found the car.”

By the time the other unit arrives the male deputy has confirmed that the car was empty and is in fact the car his colleague thought it was. He has also spotted something that looked like blood. The car itself, however, was empty. No sign of the owner or a struggle. Well, apart from the struggle it must have taken to get out of the wreck. It’s a miracle the boy had survived a fall like that.

It's hours later and all they had found is the blood spoor that ended by a lake. Well, more like it ended by a tree and then one of the k9 dogs tracked it to the lake. That’s where it stopped. Nothing on the shorelines for the next 5 miles.

Right now, they’re starting up for a search party and something feels wrong about the situation to Parrish. He isn’t sure what. Maybe the way the blood just went missing, considering the amount of blood it is a miracle the boy made it this far. He walks back to where the trail suddenly took a turn and starts looking around again. One of the deputy’s starts walking toward him.

“We’re about to start the search party, what do you got?”

“Something about this whole thing doesn’t feel right to me.”

“Well the blood looks pretty old, even though no one reported him missing.”

“Yeah, what’s up with that? How come no one noticed he was gone? How come his dad, the sheriff, didn’t notice.” He mumbled the last part, but the deputy still heard him.

“I don’t know, maybe he thought the kid at a sleepover with his friends or something.” Hmm, that sounded plausible enough.

“Furthermore, why did he suddenly change course? He had been walking along the ravine for 8 miles before he went into the woods. There isn’t even something within 30 miles near that lake, 50 if you don’t count Beacon Hills, and then it is only a gas station. I checked, okay? It doesn’t make sense. None of this does.”

“Look, I get that this is one of your first big cases but,” Before Anderson can continue, he is interrupted.

“I served in the military Anderson; I know when something isn’t right. This feels like Iraq all over again.” Taken aback the other man takes a breath. Alright. The newbie had a point. It didn’t feel right. And considering the shit that went bumping in the night in his town. That said a lot.

“Alright. So, talk me through it.”

“Well. He walked all the way here, right? Like he was trying to find a way up. Which would make sense if he didn’t know the area. Just keep walking until you find something." Parrish looks around himself before taking a couple steps back.

“He was wounded and looking at the blood and the state the car was in. It wasn’t a small cut. So why go into the woods? Were the ground is even more uneven. You said he was a clumsy teen, right? So, wouldn’t he then try to stay on an even road to prevent further damage. Maybe he stopped here for a while. Maybe take a nap? He must have been exhausted after walking such a distance. Where….” He walked around in circles for a while before pointing to a thick tree.

“Maybe under there?” He carefully walks the thought-out path. It makes sense. Upon getting closer, Parrish notices a patch of darker ground between the roots. Taking out an evidence packet he puts some in there. If it really is blood, they will find out soon enough.

Anderson is looking thoughtful at the newbie. It makes sense. It had been a pretty big distance to walk after a car crash. Considering the concussion the sheriff’s son probably had, it was a wonder there wasn’t more blood on the floor from where he had fallen.

“So, then what? He goes to sleep, wakes up and decides to walk the other way?”

“No, no that doesn’t make sense.” As he walks further onto the path, the man starts carefully examining everything he sees. About 3 meters from the provisional bed he decides to climb one of the trees to get a better look at the surrounding aria, getting a raised eyebrow from the older officer. Parrish gives it no mind, who says Stiles didn’t climb one himself (however unlikely) or someone else was watching the boy. When he is at the top, he hears his radio crack.

“Parrish, Anderson, you ready. The party is heading out.”

“Just a moment sir. We’re at part of trail right know. Parrish might be on to something.”

“Alright, I’ll see you when you’re ready.” He hears his colleague reply.

Upon looking down, he notices something strange in the tree Stiles slept under. He quickly goes down only to climb in the other.

“You got something there?”

“It looks like a broken branch. Well, a couple broken branches actually. I think there might be some   
blood on here. Can’t say for sure though.” Filling another evidence bag with a bit of the wood he climbs down and heads for the tree closest in the direction of the lake, climbing that one as well.   
After a couple more trees he finds another one with broken branches. It connects to the other if you jump right. 

After finding them on the third tree he walks back to Anderson.

“Something has been going through these trees. Maybe something took him. From the amount of blood between the car and here I don’t think he’s in any state to safely travel these trees like Tarzan.”

“No, no he isn’t.” Anderson says laughing quietly. When Parrish looks at him, he elaborates.

“When Stiles was little, he tried to climb the highest tree behind his house one time. Said he wanted to jump out and be like Spiderman. He broke his arm.” The newest deputy can’t help but smile when he hears the story.

“You keep up with the trees. I’m going to get some flags so we can see if it goes all the way to the lake. If you’re right, something might just be really wrong with these woods.” 

Shaking his head Anderson starts walking back to where the search party is stationed. Hoping to find some flags there.

\---

By the time he gets back Parrish has marked some of the trees with small rock formations or sticks. He quickly starts to exchange them for the flags. Noting that they do indeed lead back to the lake. 

Halfway there he finds Parrish looking somber between the trees.

“I found more of what looks like blood on some of the trees. Noticeable less than on the ground though. So, either the wounds have dried or whoever has taken him found a way to staunch the bleeding.” 

Or what. They both think with a slight fear.

In silence they walk all the way towards the lake. Checking the trees there as well. That’s where the others find them. With grave voices they explain that even though they found the path that was taken from the ravine to the lake. They didn’t find anything around the water. 

The trail went dry there (well it went wet but that just sounds strange).

\----

That’s when Melissa had called her son. Hoping that the jeep was just stolen, and her second son was safe and well. The result however had been disappointing. She had noticed Stiles had been around less and less lately. But her son having to think about the last time he spoke to him had shocked her deeply. Especially when she thought about last month when he visited her at the hospital to bring dinner. 

She had noticed he had become quieter but had blamed the supernatural drama the kids had gotten involved with. When she told her fellow colleagues, she heard rounds of concern from everyone. They all liked the kid who had been bringing them all kinds of food since his mom had been hospitalized. 

After three days the labs results came back. It was definitely Stiles blood.

Two days later they still hadn’t found anything more. The connecting counties where contacted and on the lookout.

Everyone was waiting and hoping for good news. 

Everyone was fearing that this was the day their Stiles had gotten himself into something he couldn’t   
get out of.

No one liked to think of the path that thought took.

Dark clouds were hanging over the already violent little town.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kudos and commens are the fuel to my writing


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so this one was a bitch to write. i'm not really happy with it but it needed to be there so have at it.  
also i know there has been a lacking of Stiles, dont worry the next chapter will have all the Stiles.  
dont forget to leave kudo's or comments. 
> 
> thanks for reading

“Hey, has anyone heard from Stiles lately?”

“Why would I want to talk to that spaz?”

“Yeah, he isn’t pack.”

“Did he kill someone again?”

“What has he gotten himself in this time.”

“I don’t really know him.”

“Not really, not that I talk to him normally.”

“Yeah that’s what I thought, my mom just called me. Something about a car crash? Asked if he was here.”

Just then Corey walks back into the room, “What’s the sour mood for. I got popcorn for the movies. Come on, we’re on vacation. Stop with the worries.”

With that the pack makes room for the last member of the pack and start the film. Forgetting about the strange phone call.

\----

Erica

Erica doesn’t like Stiles. She had had a crush on him for years before the bite and he never once looked at her. Yes, he would help when she had an epilepsy attack or got harassed, but he did that for others as well. Uncaring if that made the bullies focus on him. She knew he had been in the Argent basement with them. Had seen him lying on the ground, unconscious, like the weak human he is. She doesn’t remember much from her time in the basement, most of it spent in pain and unconscious from the electricity flowing through her and Boyd’s bodies. But that sight is something that will forever be etched into her retina: him, lying there without helping them. The next time she woke up they were being let free by Chris Argent and escaping the hell hole that was their town (not that they got very far). He was nowhere in sight. She hated the boy for not doing more. Her time with the alpha pack only fuelling that hate. It was his fault they had been caught. If he had gotten them free earlier, they wouldn’t have been caught.

\---

Boyd

Boyd didn’t care much about the spastic human. He never had any friends and in so, had learned to live without. It was lonely, he was used to it. And now with Erica by his side it was all he needed, she was all he needed (well and maybe Isaac but he decided to stay in Beacon Hills so clearly, they weren’t wanted anyway). He hadn’t seen the boy in the basement, knew only what Erica told him. He had seen the boy in their time with the alpha’s. Talking to their leader. Being friendly. Boyd snarls thinking back to it. How dare that boy talk to the enemy, to the man who forcefully held them. Talk! 

\---

Liam

Liam had never really met the ADHD raddled teen. Heard story’s, had been in the same rooms and all that. Never really talked though. He knew Scott didn’t like him, hated him. Something about a girl named Allison. It didn’t matter, his alphas will is law. Even if Liam didn’t always agree.

\---

Mason

Mason had been kidnapped once. Held in a warehouse where some coldblooded hunters where squatting in at that time. Across from him, an unconscious Stiles Stilinski was hanging from the opposite wall. He recognised him from some of the meetings he accompanied Liam to. He never seemed all that involved (even though he used to always show up on crime scenes). 

He wondered why the other teen was here, knowing that the pack hated him. Something about the dead girl named Allison who moved into town and joined the school about two years ago. 

He didn’t have more time to think about it as hunters had just walked into the room. Two man and a woman, the most frightening part was how normal they looked. Like someone you would stumble upon in the grocery store. Hell, he probably would have asked the left man for directions if he would be lost. Unfortunately, they weren’t as harmless as they appeared. 

No, they wanted information about the pack and were willing to hurt him to get it. Using a sharp, five-inch-long blade to carve shallowing cuts in his arms and legs. It was when she was getting bored and stabbed the knife in his thigh that Mason lost it and screamed. 

Loud.

Receiving a malicious smirk from the woman, she liked it when her prey screamed. It also worked to wake up the other boy. He quietly observed the scene before him. When the woman made another move towards Mason, he interrupted her. 

Distracted her. _ Taunted _ her.

By then the men had long left, and it was only the three of them down there, luckily. Without the woman hurting him, Mason could finally take a deep breath, before promptly passing out. He woke up an unknown amount later to screaming. 

When he fell asleep Stiles hadn’t been screaming, no matter what the woman did. 

The side before him made him almost throw up. Stiles had been rid of his shirt and pants, leaving him in his boxers. Cuts and bruises where spread over his entire body, blood covering the skin making it almost impossible to see where the cuts where. He had been moved to the middle of the room. Away from the wall. The woman was standing behind him, doing something to the other teens back that had him bowing his back and screwing his eyes closed with his teeth trying to bite his way through his lip.

When the woman finally left Stiles slumped forward, immediately regretting it if the groan was anything to go by. His feet where only just touching the floor with both his shoulders dislocated.

“Start counting and wake me up when you’ve reached five thousand will you.” With that Stiles closed his eyes and tried to find the most comfortable position.

When Mason had reached five thousand and, as requested, notified Stiles. The other had casually dislocated his thumps, slipping from his chains and releasing Mason before killing every hunter in the compound. Taking him to a warehouse about half a mile from where they were held captive to take out a secret stash of medical supplies. Stitching them both up and taking Mason home. Making the younger boy promise to never tell anyone.

When he had asked why he didn’t take it to Scott, he was simply told that Scott didn’t kill and those hunters weren’t leaving with a simple goodbye note.

He had been missing for almost a full day, the pack never thought anything of it. And when Corey and Liam asked? He simply told them about the promise.

So yeah, Mason had respect for the teen. Even if the rest of the pack didn’t agree with him.

\---

Isaac

Isaac had loved Allison, before she was taken from him. Running away to France with Chris, he hadn’t blamed Stiles. Knowing the boy had had no control over his body. He still couldn’t look at him. Not when a niggling voice at the back of his head was shouting that the other should have been stronger, should never had let the demon in. So, he left for a little while. Coming back just before everyone had left for their vacation to spend some time with his pack.

\---

Theo

He wanted the void. Wanted it to be his. And his alone. To corrupt. To manipulate. To command. Whispering in the ears of the pack was simple. Afterall, they were mourning their lost packmate, friend, lover. And Stiles? Stiles was going to be all his.

His plan had worked, and he had the perfect alibi.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> soooo, what are your thoughts??
> 
> gimmegimmegimmeeeee


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hiii  
sorry for the wait, it has been one hell of a week.
> 
> we have finally reached to the part were stiles will make his apperance!  
i want to say thanks to everyone who is still here and reading this .
> 
> thank you for joining me on this journey

He slowly feels himself drifting to consciousness. Futily trying to stay in the darkness as long as he can, he lays with his eyes closed.

He is still in the water. 

The stabbing knifes and spiderwebs are gone now, but his legs feel strange. Heavy, and stuck to each other. When he flexes his hands, he notices a thin like webbing between his fingers. Upon opening his eyes, he can make out the form of a cave around him. He is laying in something soft, it is slowly waving around him. It feels nice against his skin. Soft, like it’s caressing him. 

When he brings his hands to his face his eyes confirm what he had felt. The webbing is thin and slightly see through. Almost like they’re not fully developed yet, he thinks to himself. When trying to sit up, Stiles notices something is attached to his back. It feels heavy and light at the same time and he can feel the seaweed and water moving against it. Upon bringing his hands to his back, he feels the layout of a fin. It starts just underneath his skull and goes all the way to his ass. He takes a slow breath. 

This is no time to panic Stiles. Keep it together. You got this. Slowly he lowers his eyes toward his legs. That aren’t legs anymore. Yup, that is tail. He closes his eyes and takes another slow breath. In 1, 2, 3, hold, out 1, 2, 3. 

After another few breaths he opens his eyes again. It is a long sleek tail covered in mostly green scales. The lower his eyes travel the darker it gets. There is some blue waving through but its barely noticeable until further down, closer to the fin. There, the blue moves in visible streaks against the green to make a pretty contrast. The scales on his tail also travel upwards over his torso and arms where the blue is more visible again. Awkwardly turning around to inspect the fin on his back he notices that there are some tints of purple hidden between the scales, probably coming more forwards on the ends of the fin if his arms and tail are to be believed. Not that he can see without a mirror to check for certain.

Carefully moving his new appendages, he is surprised by how natural it feels. Even if his muscles don’t cooperate (not like he can blame them since they’ve never been used before) it still feels good. Almost… nice. Like this is the body that was meant for him all along.

Well either that or he is drugged. 

Moving closer to the fin to inspect the pattern there he notices that its sharp at the end. Sharper than his favourite knife, yet still soft and delicate, unlike his favourite knife. It’s the perfect balance between the two. Moving again he slowly drifts above the seaweed. 

That’s when he notices the creature near the cave entrance. With a tail. Just like him. Although he can’t make out much detail from the distance and bad lighting, he knows it’s almost covered in scales, although his look more firey coloured. Which means his theory was right and his are still growing. The creature moves with a grace that tells it grew up in the water, yet with a clumsiness that tells its younger than the usual kidnapper. 

When it notices he is awake and watching, it slowly drifts towards him. Trying to get away, (he is in unknown waters after all) his fin makes the wrong move and he ends up going sideways. When there are only a couple feet separating them, it lifts its arm. Fear takes him over when he sees the claws coming towards him. 

Trying more desperately to get away, he starts flipping his tail. The creature doesn’t look bothered though and only lays something on the ground before going back to the entrance.

Watching him.

After a lot of cursing and willing his tail to do what he wants it to he finally gets the hang of his tail. Movements still jerky and uncoordinated he carefully moves toward the things the creature laid down. Knowing instinctively that it won’t leave before seeing his reaction. When he sees it though, he is a bit shocked. 

No strange, violent, or painful things. 

No photos demanding information. 

No, instead there are a few mussels and what looks like some different kinds of seaweed and kelp. When he looks up at the creature it is still staring at him. Not knowing what to do with it (is he supposed to eat that? Gross) he starts to move back. 

That’s when the creature makes an angry noise. Not moving (or at least for so far as that is possible in the water) he looks up. The creature is moving from left to right. When he still doesn’t move it makes another frustrated noise. Trying to move further back gets him the third and slightly louder noise. 

That’s when he looks back at the stuff it left on the cave floor for him. Or at least, he thinks it’s for him. Maybe he is being rude by leaving it there? Slowly he moves his hand towards it.  
The creature keeps staring at him but doesn’t make another noise. He slowly grabs the mussel closest to him. 

It stops moving. 

Almost like its waiting for something. (What if it’s poisoned?) 

He takes another look and sights; it wouldn’t be his first time willingly getting poisoned. Well, looks like its mussel for dinner (or breakfast, it’s not like he has a clock around here somewhere). When he brings it to his mouth the creature moves a little closer.

Stilling all movement, he stares at it. Waiting for it to make a move (he is not fighting with his mouth full. Done that, never again). The creature blinks, waits, looks quickly around, only moving his eyes and notices he moved forward apparently without noticing because it moves backwards again. To the entrance of the cave. Almost nervously moving around know. 

After a moment he slowly brings the mussel to his mouth again. Trying to eat it without making too much of a face, he quickly swallows. Almost like that is what the creature was waiting for, a small amount of the tension he didn’t know had been there disappears. After a while (and tree more mussels, so gross) the creature seems satisfied and disappears. Or at least moves further away. 

After 15 minutes Stiles tries to make his way to the entrance. After some struggling with his tail it finally gets the message and his brand-new muscles start working. However, he barely reached the opening before the creature was back. Studying it from closer he notices its face and body looks a bit like a man’s, well, more like a boy’s actually. He has light blue, slitted eyes, black hair and a few scars spread over his body. His scales are mostly back with yellows and red intertwined, the colours becoming more apparent near the tail- and backfin. It looks like embers burning in the night.

The boy doesn’t look all that old. 

When it starts making hissing and geckering noises Stiles quickly moves back. That seems to appease the boy as he quiets down after a while. Staring at him a few more minutes it moves away again. Appearing back in sight every few minutes, letting him know he can’t escape. With another sigh Stiles starts exploring the cave.

He has been through enough kidnappings by now to have a system. Know your surroundings, find out what your captor wants, figure out where you are, try to look for a way out etc. etc. 

The cave is bigger than he first thought. Above him there is a small section of land covered in rock and moss. There is a small sunbeam worming its way through a crack at the top, giving just enough light to make out some of his surroundings. Under water, there is a small opening in the back that leads to another cave. This one smaller with walls covered in even more moss and seaweed. It looks cosy. What the hell is he thinking, since when is seaweed cosy! What the hell did that thing do to him. Well, besides turning him, obviously. 

But, why? Why turn him? What would they (for surely there must be another one) gain from that?

That is how it goes for the next few days (hours, weeks? Where are clocks when you need them?). After the fifth feeding, with a noticeable increase in the number of mussels, and decrease in other foods. He decides to try out the seaweed. Which tastes better than expected (not the red one with flowery leaf forms though). The dark green leafy ones are also great for chewing when he needs to distract himself for a while or is bored. 

(He is always bored)

When the creature comes a little closer around feeding time (by the moon, he sounds like a zoo animal) and slowly extends his hand, Stiles does not move away. With tense muscles he watches the creature, trying to figure out what it wants. Why it now decided to change its usual motions. 

Between its claws, there is a small wriggling fish. A living fish. He is going to have to eat a living thing since tailboy is not moving backward, instead extending his appendage even further. Slowly he moves his hand toward the fish. The moment he grabs it and the boy lets go, the fish seizes the opportunity to escape. However, before he can blink, the now empty hand flies towards it and grabs it again. Hitting the fish against the wall before offering it again. 

With a gulp he grabs it the second time. 

It is not moving now. 

When fishboy keeps looking at him he slowly moves it towards his mouth. Taking a second to gather his courage he takes bite. A shivering goes through the creature and it starts geckering again. It almost sounds like it is making words this time. Either the fish tastes better than he thought it would, or he is just adapting to the water and his new form. He still avoids the head though, that goes a little too far for him. 

The other seems satisfied though, and when he extends his arm with the remnants of the fish the boy accepts it and finishes it off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> let me know what you think!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hiii, sorry it's a bit late. I, well I don't really have a reason. I just forgot….  
Anyway, here it is. I hope it makes sense, if it doesn't, please let me know and i'll try and fix it.
> 
> I'm still doubting about the name for this character, if you have any suggestions let me know.
> 
> hope you guys like it.
> 
> (also I just found out i have a MAJOR plothole..... still not sure how to patch it up but I'm working on in)

While living in the cave Stiles finally has time to think. Stiles and his thoughts were never a good combination. He tries to avoid it as much as possible. Unfortunately, there is not much to distract him after his first search of the cave. 

So, he thinks. He thinks about the pack and comes to the not-so-surprising realisation that he might be alone in this. Yeah, it might not be his first kidnapping, nor is it the first time he had to get himself out of the situation. It is, however, the first time in a different body. 

Would they even recognise him?

He starts thinking back to the beginning of freshman year. Scott and him had been slowly drifting apart since they changed schools. The crooked jaw boy having less and less time for him, blowing him off and spending more time with others. Saying he had to train for lacrosse if he was going to make it on the team that year. 

Maybe that was why he had taken his friend out to the woods that day. To spend one last time together before school started again. Like a last hooray. Of course, it had to blow up in his own face when Scott went and got bitten by a werewolf. 

Crazy right?! 

Yeah, not so much apparently. 

So, he had helped the boy with his control. Watched him make first line and go for pizza with the team after plays (never mind that he was on the team as well, not like he was invited or wanted. Who could want him?). 

Watched him trying to woo the hunter girl, like it could end as anything other than complete and utter disaster. 

And when they did get to spend time together, that was all his best friend talked about. Her perfect hair and beautiful eyes and did you know that Allison-. You get the gist. 

Maybe that is why he got so obsessed by the Hales (yes obsessed, he admits. Take that.) Throwing himself in the world of nightmares headfirst to distract himself and fill the lonely days and lonelier nights. 

The shaky ground his dad and he had reached years after his mother’s dead slowly disappearing with every lie, every time he did not came home, every crime scene he showed up at. All the bruises that barely left his body before others already covered them. All the excuses that they both knew were not true. Every time he avoided eye contact because he was afraid of the look in his dad eyes. 

After the nogitsune, after finding out what it did, what he did. After finding out about the nightmares hiding in the shadows around the corner. The empty bottles had started showing up again. Making him avoid his dad out of fear of the man becoming like just after his mother finally was laid to rest. 

Laying between the seaweeds and anemone he starts thinking about the pack. His mind immediately going to the time he held Derek up in the pool for four hours. Waiting for Scott to show up and chase away the kanima, he never thought he would be able to feel his legs again afterwards. Happy when Derek was finally able to drive him home. Or the time grandpa psycho had kidnapped him and thrown him in the basement. Only to find Erica and Boyd hanging from the opposite wall, (he hoped they were well, wherever they had run to after they were freed from the alpha pack) chained with electricity. He knew Allison knew. Had seen her there. Had felt her slice the dagger on his legsarmsfeetbreakhisfingers- 

Breath Stiles. Breath, in, hold, out, hold. Again. After a while he calmed down again and let his mind wander to more recent events. 

After the nogitsune the pack had started to drift even farther away. He could see the looks, the distrust and hate. He knew they blamed him for Allison’s dead. Aiden’s dead. The bomb at the police station, making his dad work even more. The arrow in Finstock’s leg. It was all his fault. Everything was his fault.

He knew, okay? 

He knew he let it in. 

He should have been stronger. 

Closed the door like Scott and Allison did. 

Fought harder.

Why was he too weak to close that damned door? His brother would not even look at him anymore. Lydia was disgusted with him, he had long ago abandoned his ten year plan to woo her (right around the time a certain sourwolf moved back to town). Isaac had left with Chris, running from the memories of the girl they loved. 

Everyone at school avoided him (even if they were all too happy with his warnings), still afraid of him. Of what he became. Of what he is. Because that was the biggest joke, wasn’t it? 

The nogitsune did not create anything. It just used what was already there. Corrupted his spark, used his knowledge. Used everything he had read online on days he could not sleep. Used everything he had learned from his observations.

It had shown him what is was like to kill. 

To hit. 

To hurt. 

To make those that hurt him know what it was like to be beaten. Ignored. Tortured. Used. Thrown away like a rag toy.

Yes, nogitsunes lived on chaos and pain. But it could see what his host had seen. Just like the host could see what the parasite had seen.

It had used everything that made Stiles Stiles. 

And in turn he had learned how to protect himself. How to escape chains. What the quickest way was to silence someone. What the most hurtful way was. How to move swift and quit. How to hunt the hunters who hunted him.

The new puppies in the pack avoided him. 

He did not know if it was because someone told them to, or because of him. He tried to avoid thinking of the former option.

Malia had left. 

Derek had left. 

Everyone left him. 

Maybe he had deserved this. Maybe all he was good for were territory disputes, information gathering, kidnappings, or extra additions to rare species. 

Did not mean he wanted it. 

He wanted out. He was going to leave the hell hole called Beacon Hills. Find a new place. It was why he had graduated a year earlier. Only applying to schools on the east coast. Packing his bare essentials, transferring his mother’s funds to another, untraceable account. Using what Danny had taught him after a lot of bribing. Using what Void had taught him during his possession. He had even left his laptop and mobile in the sheriff’s house, making it seem as if he was still in Beacon Hills. 

If no one notices he is kidnapped for days. Then surely no one will notice, or hell forbid miss him, if he leaves town.

\----

Two days later their careful routine is broken again when a trilling goes through the rocks, followed by an angry screech in the distance. 

The boy looks up from his fish, they started eating together after that first time. In a flash he is by the entrance moving something. A curtain of seaweed appears. With quick and swift movements, he starts herding Stiles towards the smaller cave. 

This is the closest they had been together since he woke up. 

The screeching sounds again. Closer this time. 

The werecreature starts physically pushing him towards the opening, all the while looking back. Afraid of who is behind the noise. Taking his chances, he swims inward (he’s gotten a lot better in using his tail, itching for the opportunity to use it outside the cave). 

Fishboy follows and starts moving away more seaweed near the ceiling of the cave on the left side, revealing an even smaller entrance, motioning for Stiles to enter. With one look behind he quickly does so. Whatever is behind the noise. It’s close. Very close. The sweetwatercreature follows and Stiles quickly begins to swim. Through narrow tunnels and sometimes even smaller corridors they go from one cave to the next. Being pushed to his max by the hunter they left behind. 

It feels like hours, maybe more, and he is exhausted when they finally pause. They’re in a slightly bigger cavern and can freely move around each other.

“sssstttaaaaa”

“ssssttaaaiiiii”

“staaaaaghhiiii”

Was that, did it just, could he….

“heerrrhhreeeiii”

Yup, he just sort of understood seahissing. 

Perplexed he looks at the boy. It looks back and then quickly swims away. 

Exhausted he decides to stay there for a while. Scrubbing his scales free of dirt. They have grown in his time underwater. The scales are now covering part of his torso. Getting thinner higher up and thicker again on his neck around his gills. 

He is just about finished when he hears something coming his way. Quickly hiding in one of the pathways he sees the boy returning. It looks almost sad when it notices Stiles isn’t there. Carefully laying down the seaweeds he found. 

He is almost gone when Stiles pokes his head out of his tunnel. Softly scraping the wall. When it looks back and sees him it starts geckering and hissing so fast he can barely hear when one word stops and the next starts. 

Coming out of the tunnel and swimming towards the seaweed he starts eating. All the while paying attention to the sounds he hears. Trying to make sense of it. 

Why did it look so sad when he thought Stiles was gone? 

Why did it try to save him from the terrifying noise? 

That’s when he notices how young the boy really is, how small. The muscles on its arm aren’t defined enough to carry another person. Without thought he grabs one and examines it. Lays it against his arm. Pokes at the little bit of muscle. Looks at every side, when the boy only looks quietly towards him, he grabs the other arm as well. 

It’s the same. 

How? 

How are the fingers so small? 

He remembers them being bigger against his skin when he was caught. Where they only big when he was above water? But that makes no sense. He didn’t shrink so why would they. Curiously he looks towards the owner of the appendage. What if…? What if they’re not the same? Does that mean the other is still out there? Or was his kidnapper killed by the monster in the lake. Is that who they ran from? 

Is it dead and this one found him, finders’ keepers? No, no he cannot hope that whatever took him is dead. 

He never has such luck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> did you like it?  
what are your thougts?  
got any nice names in mind?  
let me know


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hiiii
> 
> I know its been a while…. college has been kicking my ass.  
I want to thank SAILORCAT, ElliVanLee and The Collector for commenting on the Kira thing!  
I'm still writing her response with the funeral, and i'm not sure if she's going back after, or if she stays.(suggestions are always, very, very much welcom) 
> 
> i also want to thank a friend of mine (if you ever read this you know I'm talking about you) for giving me the name Taeyang, it means sun.
> 
> i hope you guys like it

_Below the thunders of the upper deep,  
Far far beneath in the abysmal sea,  
His ancient, dreamless, uninvaded sleep  
The kraken sleepeth: faintest sunlights flee  
About his shadowy sides; above him swell  
Huge sponges of millennial growth and height;  
And far away into the sickly light,  
From many a wondrous grot and secret cell  
Unnumber'd and enormous polypi  
Winnow with giant arms the slumbering green.  
There hath he lain for ages, and will lie  
Battening upon huge seaworms in his sleep,  
Until the latter fire shall heat the deep;  
Then once by man and angels to be seen,  
In roaring he shall rise and on the surface die.  
\- Alfred Tennyson (1830)___

_ _

_ _He is in the woods again, waving between trees and enjoying the wind through his fur. The promise of rain hanging in the air gives the night a little something extra. He is scouting for any possible caves he can hide in when the sky finally breaks over when he feels It again. Taking off without a thought he starts running faster than he ever thought he could. He can finally make out a shadow moving a couple miles further out when he wakes up with a jolt. _ _

_ _Turning around he sees his phone is ringing. Noticing the state code of the unfamiliar call he curses. Shit, he has not even reached California before it is starting already._ _

_ _

_ _\----_ _

_ _

_ _Back in Beacon Hills they are widening the search perimeter. Volunteers keep coming in, if only the boy knew how loved he was by the town. People remember how he always helped. Laughing and trading recipes while doing groceries with the grocery moms at Sunday. Bringer dinner and all kinds of sweets he tried to make, and his dads’ heart can’t have, by the hospital and fire department. Turning in all kinds of strange and interesting papers that might be slightly off topic but were like a soothing balm to read between all the simple boring and sometimes badly written ones from his peers. Students that know something is wrong in Beacon Hills, and although McCall’s group of friends is in the thick of it. The Stilinski kid was always working in the shadows. Making problems disappear before most of them even noticed they were there. Even when it was not supernaturally themed, he still helped. Tutored those in need when he could and warned people to stay of the streets in the dark. Yeah, he might have gone off the road for a while. But even Greenburg could see something was not quite right about Stiles those months. Almost like he was not all there. His stay at Eichen House only reinforcing that believe. _ _

_ _Everyone was worrying. Because if Stiles, their protector (before he goes to college, no one liked to think of a time they would have to survive on their own) could not handle what happened, how where they supposed to do it? Especially with all the wolves out of town. _ _

_ _On day seven of the search they stumble upon a strange side a few miles further on the shore of the lake. They had not walked that far before. _ _

_ _Clearly, a mistake._ _

_ _It looks like a struggle had taken place on the ground. Quickly calling for an extra eye they start following the path. It leads to another lake where it disappears again. No matter how many rounds they walked along the lake, they could not find anything else. _ _

_ _By then expert divers had been brought in. Searching first the lake the blood trail had led to, and then the lake connected by the struggle. They came up empty handed. No matter how many times they went in the water. _ _

_ _For eight days at least. On the ninth day they suddenly hear a screeching while the divers are searching. The water starts moving more and a trilling goes through the ground. With one look at each other they quickly swim back towards the surface. They had heard stories about this town. How two years ago the amount of dead had suddenly started rising rapidly. The men had no intension of joining the already slayed. _ _

_ _When they almost reach the boat, they hear another screech. Quickly climbing in, they head towards the shore when the boat rocks. People on the shore have noticed and guns are trained towards the water. The side only serves to make the divers more terrified. What the hell is in the water? And who are these people to dare to look so little surprised? Something capable of making a sound like that deserves at least a little terror in return, right? Right._ _

_ _When the boat rocks again, almost topping over, the divers shove their thoughts away and continue their journey to dryland as fast as possible with renewed vigour. Before they even crossed half of the distance two deputies start firing in the water near them. It seems to scare the thing behind the screeching away long enough for the divers to make it on dry land. Turning back towards the water everything seems to slow down. _ _

_ _A large greenishgrey tentacle makes its way out of the water. Shots are fired but it either moves to fast or ignores the pain and snatches one of the deputies by the arm. Lifting it up when the other deputy starts firing even faster. People move towards the woman when the tentacle moves swiftly to the left. Throwing her away. A crack is heard, and she doesn’t move. _ _

_ _No one moves, which a bad move obviously because the monster seizes the opportunity and throws away the other deputy. Satisfied with the lack of bullets in the air more tentacles appear. Trying to snatch people into the water now. One man is already hanging above the lake screaming for help when an enormous mouth appears. Within rows upon rows upon rows of teeth can be seen. Yellow coloured and sharp, glistening in the sun from the water still clinging to it. _ _

_ _It promptly eats the man. Skin and bones disappearing behind the teeth with a terrified yell from the victim. _ _

_ _As if on que everyone starts running back while deputies and hunters (or very skilled and trained humans to the unknown men and women) take their places and start firing._ _

_ _A lot more effectively. _ _

_ _Hiding behind trees and other obstacles to avoid being seen and taken, their work slowly becomes effective. With one more victim disappearing behind its teeth, it disappears back in the water. _ _

_ _With shaky feet the men and women make their way out of the trees. Checking on the fallen ones and noting that no one was in any mortal danger from their injuries they look back at the lake. _ _

_ _“If that thing took Stiles, he’s long dead. Not even he could survive that.” says one of the hunters with a shaky voice. She was a strong upholder of the code and one of the younger ones on the team. She was also quite fond of the boy and had started to see him as a long-lost cousin. _ _

_ _“Either way, I want it dead. It has just eaten two people and threw away others like nothing more than rag dolls.”_ _

_ _

_ _\------------ _ _

_ _

_ _Only when she is back in her home, does the news fully makes its way into her mind. Stiles is dead. Dead. Like no coming back dead. No corpse meant no resurrection. Not that she would ever result to such things. Not that it mattered, because it was not possible. Without a corpse. Oh shit her friend had been eaten. Alive. _ _

_ _With a shudder she tries to get the sight of those teeth out of her mind. There are more pressing matters. Right. With shaking hands Nira reaches for her phone. Not many knew, but Stiles had once given her a number, saying it was never to be used, unless there was no other way. That the person on the other side of the line deserved a better life, not being dragged back into the hell of Beacon Hills. _ _

_ _She knew it was Derek Hale. Had noticed the looks the two shared, the words left unspoken between them and how sad the boy had been when the older man left. With another deep breath she dials before she can change her mind._ _

_ _“Who is this” _ _

_ _“Are you Derek Hale?”_ _

_ _“Yes, what do you want.” The voice sounds annoyed and harsh, short. Just like she remembers, few had ever been able to change that sound. Taking a deep breath, she starts._ _

_ _“My name is Nira. I am a friend of Stiles Stilinski. His car was found thirteen days ago. The trail follows along the side of the ravine before he was grabbed. He was carried through the trees towards a lake. We found another struggle a few miles further out. It indicates he was led towards another lake. That is where the trail stops. Divers were attacked there today. Whatever is in that lake. It killed two men and disappeared before we could kill it. I’m sorry to inform you of the untimely dead of Stiles Stilinski. He was a great man and a great friend. You could always count on him to have your back.” With a shuddering breath she quickly continues before she loses her courage. _ _

_ _“There will be a closed casket funeral in a few days.”_ _

_ _“No. No he isn’t dead. He can’t be, not. Not him. P- please not him. He des-. He deserved better. Are you sure he’s-” A stuttering Derek Hale is something she never thought she would hear. God that man sounds so heartbroken it made her own tears well up again._ _

_ _“Well there wasn’t a body…” _ _

_ _“So he could still be alive” And shit, the hope in that voice did things to her poor heart._ _

_ _“The men it killed today, It swallowed hole. Bones and clothes included.”_ _

_ _“…..”_ _

_ _“Look. If you do not want to come, then that is your decision. I just thought you should know”_ _

_ _“No, no, I’ll be there. It just. It doesn’t make sense.”_ _

_ _“He deserved better.”_ _

_ _“He did” Hanging up Nira took a deep breath before steeling herself. Crying would get them nowhere. She had a seamonster to kill and a friend to avenge. With another deep breath she walks away. Hitting the books to distract herself. Between pages she finds herself looking up, wanting to share a fact with her companion. Only to remember he is not there anymore._ _

_ _

_ _\----_ _

_ _

_ _When Peter walks back into the motel room, breakfast in hand, ready to bribe his daughter, niece and nephew back onto the road, he comes upon a side he never could have imagined. Malia and Cora are both sitting on one of the beds, clearly having woke up a short time ago by the sight of their dishevelled cloths. Tears in their eyes while staring at Derek. _ _

_ _Derek, who has probably woken up around the same time as Malia and Cora if Peter was to guess, is holding a phone in his hand. Slowly lowering it to his side. A shudder goes through his body before every muscle locks up tight. _ _

_ _“No.” _ _

_ _It comes out almost unrecognisable around the fangs Peter can’t see from where he is standing behind him. Although it could also be unrecognisable from the sheer desperation and anguish in his nephews voice. Another shudder goes through the body before he drops to the ground. Trembles shaking his entire body. That is when his daughter (daughter!) notices him. In a flash she is by his side wrapping her entire body around him. Peter is shocked. This is the first time the girl initiated any contact. Something is very, very wrong. With a dreaded feeling Peter focuses on his niece, who has wrapped herself around her brothers shaking form. _ _

_ _“What happened?” Silent tears are streaming down her face when she looks at him._ _

_ _“It’s Stiles. He is dead.”_ _

_ _“No. No not him. Never him. Please don’t. Do not lie about something like this. Don’t-” Denying everything he looks pleading towards the dark haired woman. She only shakes her head before shoving her face into her brothers neck again. Needless to say, they don’t get very far that day._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so what did you think?  
does she stay, does she go?  
is she going yay scott or nay scott
> 
> thank you all for reading


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hiiiii
> 
> Sorry for the wait, i have a few more chapters waiting on my laptop for some various levels of editing (why is grammar so annoying? can someone hit him on his head pretty please)  
hopefully since it's winter break i will have time to work on it and write some more!  

> 
> I am still looking for a name for the OC that was introduced last chapter, if you have any ideas, they would be appriciated.  

> 
> Enjoy, and I hope you all have some great hollidays and a safe new years evening. Dont lose any fingers my sweeties.

Kira was shocked when she heard the news: Beacon Hills had yet again taken another life. It made her sad to think about the boy who had shared her love for comics. She had never spent a lot of time with him, between Scott, her mother’s lies and running for your life there was not a lot of time left. Count in there a shacky control and him being controlled by the nogitsune…. Suffice to say, she had not really spoken to him outside of school and pack meetings. That did not mean she did not care.

With that she headed towards the leader of the skinwalkers, to ask for a few days of mourning before they resumed her training.

When she found her, however, the woman was in a meeting surrounded by the eldest and protectors of the tribe, solemn faces looking her way.

“I’m sorry, did I come inconvenient?” Nervously she looked at the ground.

“Speak young kit.” The voice was low and gravely, years living in the desert having taken its toll.

“It is about a friend of mine, from before I came here. I just heard he passed away and have come to ask for a few days of mourning.” When the elder nodded in acceptance she mumbled a quick thanks before turning to leave the room. Her right foot had just passed the threshold when a voice stopped her.

“This friend of yours, what is their name?” 

Turning back her eyes flittered over the crowd before her, trying to figure out where the voice had come from. After a couple long seconds of unsuccessful looking she finally opened her mouth.

“Stiles. His name was Stiles Stilinski.”

\---

She had almost finished setting up the altar back at her room with a few candles and herbs along with the sweater he had once given her, when someone cleared their throat behind her. Turning around she saw it was Maraya, one of her teachers who had been present at the meeting she interrupted. Waving the woman in she put the last touches to the altar before lighting up the candles and turning around to face the older woman.

That had been five minutes ago, and no one had said a word since. The young thunder kitsune was getting increasingly nervous and finally spoke up. “What can I help you with?”

When the woman just continued to look at her, she started fumbling with her clothes, tapping her fingers against her legs. Just when she was about to launch into a rambling spiel the warrior finally spoke.

“This boy, Stiles Stilinski. Did he come from Beacon Hills?” 

Blinking with owlish eyes Kira wondered how the woman new. More importantly, why she cared.

“Yes.”

Nodding at her Maraya made a decision. Standing up she said.

“We’re sending two representatives towards the town for a funeral, you’re welcome to join us.” With that said she swiftly walked towards the door. Stopping at the threshold the elder looked over her shoulder. 

“We leave at dawn.”

Kira was at a loss. Why would they send two representatives to Stiles funeral? They almost never left the desert. But then again, her teacher had said funeral, not Stiles’ funeral. Maybe someone else had died as well? But who had died in Beacon Hills that was important enough to attract the interest of the tribe? To not only attract their interest but also sent two representatives, something that did not happen often.

Kira was confused.

\---

Walking outside before dawn the next morning Kira wore an apprehensive look on her face along with her dark ringed eyes. She had been torn in doubt if she should go the whole night. On one side was the fact that her and Stiles had been sort of friends and that she would see Scott and the rest of the pack again. On the other side was the fact that they did not part on the greatest terms and that she wasn’t sure if her control would hold outside the desert. At the end her curiosity won out. Making her pack her bags and walk outside.

Maraya was standing next to the road beside Taeyang. Taking a deep breath, she grabbed her rucksack tighter and checked one last time if she had everything. Feeling the katana in its belt form on her waist and the dagger in her boot. She let her breath go and walked towards the others.

\---

The car ride was excruciating. The air conditioning wasn’t working and even though her time in the dessert made her more resilient against the heat, several hours in a car with no radio on and companions that did not speak a lot made the heat more and more oppressive.

By the time they stopped at a motel to sleep she felt like she could kiss the ground.

Still, it felt strange to acclimate back to a more modern setting. The appliances and technology around her felt foreign. And if that was how she felt, she did not want to know how it was for the others.

\---

Riding back into Beacon Hills felt almost unrealistic. The town felt the same, even if she couldn’t help but notice the differences. Some stores she used to visit had changed. The way the people walked on the streets, like they had seen more horrors since she left. Which they most likely had. It was not until they stopped at the grocery store for supplies and to find out the time of the service (and the others had indeed come for the same funeral as her. What had the boy done to leave such an impression for them to come to his funeral??) that she noticed the difference in energy around her. Maye it was because she was still too unknowing before, but if felt like there were a _lot_ more supernatural creatures around now than before she left. 

When she asked her companions about it, Maraya simply raised her eyebrows while Taeyang looked at her like she was stupid. After a few seconds he seemed to get that she genuinely did not have a clue and explained that if they had come for the funeral, then so had others.

That gave her pause, it made sense. Did it not? 

Apart from the fact that she still didn’t know why they had come in the first place.

\---

The motel where they would be staying in their time visiting the town had been so full that there had only been one single room left. And when she said single, she meant single. As in only one bed. Standing before it she felt her gratitude towards the man behind the reception slowly leave her body. Either they were all going to cramp together on the same matrass, or someone was going to have to sleep on the floor. Looking at the other two skinwalkers in the room with her, she instantly knew neither of them were going for the floor.

\---

It had taken her a while before she could convince them to let her go in town on her own. Luckily for her, she was too stubborn to give up and managed to wear them down after a while. Heading towards her ex-boyfriend’s home she started to doubt. What if he did not want to see her? What if he was still mad about her stay with the skinwalkers. Turning around she quickly headed towards the nearest café instead. Paying for a hot chocolate she took a seat against the window. Looking at the people walking along the street she realised she had not missed it as much as she thought she had. Staying with the skinwalkers had been hard, but it had been good. She had enjoyed it and looked forward to returning. There was so much she had not learned yet. (That she wasn’t ready to face her parents yet had nothing to do with her wanting to go back).

After a few hours she finally gathered all her courage and heads towards Scott’s house. No point in delaying it any longer, is there?

When she gets there though, the house is deserted. Turning around she figures that they are probably all together at one of the others houses. Maybe Lydia’s? 

But when Ms Martin opens the door and tells her that Lydia is on some vacation trip with a few friends, her mind starts to wonder. Maybe Lydia went out? No, no way she would have left the pack. She probably was just on a perfectly normal vacation. Enjoying some luxuries and visiting the spa at least three times a week. Nodding her head, she turns around and starts wandering. She doesn’t really know where the others live. She does remember were the loft is though. Looking at the side street that would lead her that way she goes over the pros and cons of walking in that district. There was a reason the loft was on that side of town. And being on the opposite of Argents’ house was only one of them.

Still she had to try. Besides, she was a badass katana wielding kitsune. No way someone was going to go up against her. Well, no one besides one of the many, many supernatural creatures that were in town at least. Right… better stick to those shadows.

\---

It takes her almost an hour to make it to the loft. Only to find it empty with the door still unlocked. There are some traces of life around. Making it obvious that people still visited. Even if the layer of dust told her it had been some time.

With a sight she turns around and heads back towards the motel with a heavy feeling in her stomach.

\---

The heavy feeling does not go away. In fact, it only gets worse. In the two days leading to the funeral she hasn’t seen hide nor hair of the pack. What if something happened to them? What if they were hurt or in danger? 

When she brought the subject to Maraya and Taeyang though, they had simply shook their heads and said that it wasn’t any of their business and that she wasn’t to get involved. They were here for the funeral and after they would head home. 

It did not help, and she was becoming more and more jumpy with nerves. 

\---

Seeing a black camaro roll into town snaps her back to attention faster than a lighting flash. She didn’t know the Hales, had only seen them during pack meetings, and even then, the born wolves rarely talked. By the response they got when they did it, was not hard to figure out why. Scott had a personal vendetta against them. Said that they were murderers, and that everything was Peters fault. Peter was a creep.

Still, they might have answers.

\---

She didn’t see them again until the funeral. There were four of them: Derek, Peter, Malia and Cora. All standing in silence near the grave. Mourning the boy that, now that she thought about it, had been closer to them than anyone else she knew. Stiles had always had a strange dynamic with them. Like he knew them better than she had, be

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you know what I am?  
curious  
to your thoughts
> 
> and craving icecream


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiii,
> 
> So I was working on this. You know, the usual: editing, adding scenes, changing senteces. When I realised that I was working on the wrong chapter. I was cracking my head on something I could have cracked it on a later day. 
> 
> guess I'm just stupid like that
> 
>   
enjoy!

He is running through the woods again. They are slowly starting to become more familiar. Deciding to try the tactic from the last time he sets out for a long journey again. This time deciding to take a different route. When he still has not felt the presence after a few hours he decides to head to the bunny clearing anyway. Maybe It is there? It is not there. Disappointment is taking over his mind. Did he chase them away? Or was It Stiles? Like he secretly hoped it was. If it was, does that mean that Nira was right? Was his packmate really dead? Slowly walking the same pad as the other night, he takes off. The presence still isn’t back by the time he has made the full circle. Howling his loss to the moon he stays there the rest of the night.

\---

“Hey Danny, how is Hawaii treating you? You still hitting on that dude from last time?”

“Hey Jacks, no he turned out to be a dick. Being all nice and shit and then trying to steal my stuff? Like, sure, we had a great night, the dude gave great head, but in the morning, he almost sneaked out with my coffeemaker! Who even goes for a coffeemaker! If you are trying to steal something than you should at least do it right. It’s not like its small or inconspicuous or something.” 

Jackson looked stumped at the screen in front of him before bursting out laughing.

“It’s not funny! It had to chase him down for three blocks while only wearing boxers. And you know what he did!” 

Danny was starting to turn red in his rant and Jackson was sitting at the edge of his seat in anticipation.

“He threw it on the ground! Its broken! It made The Best Coffee Ever and now its broken!” With that said Jackson fell down on the flour, unable to keep his laughter in any longer. Only Danny could ever get in this kind of mess.

“Anyway, I think I’m going to stop dating for a while. Or at least stop with the blonds.”

“What? You’re going to try brunets now?”

“Yes.”

“You never liked brunets”

“That’s not true. There was Lucas when we were eight.”

“Exactly. Eight, and if I remember it right there was a bet involved.”

“Fine” with a huff Danny settles back in his chair. Jackson had a point though, he never fell for brunets. No matter how cute they were.

“Anyway, have you heard the latest news from BH?”

“What news? I don’t really talk with anyone back there.”

“Not even Lydia? You guys were pretty close.”

“No, I needed to get away from all that. Also, Lydia and I? It wasn’t a really healthy relation.” He is looking out of the window while he saying that. Unable to look at friend, thinking back at their time in high school together and the mess that was his love, or more like, sex life back then.

“Sorry to hear that man. Anyway, it’s about the Stilinki kid.”

“What about him?” This is peaking Jackson interest. He knows Stiles had something to do with him not dying back in BH. Convincing Derek not to kill him and figuring out how to save him. Not to mention the damage his precious death trap called a car received for smashing through the wall to deliver Lydia to him. No matter how toxic they had been to each other. They had loved each other. 

“He’s dead.”

“What.” That does not sound right.

“Yeah, they found his car about a couple weeks ago. Found the killer in the woods. It’s going to be an empty casket funeral though because they couldn’t find the body.” Silently they watch each other, remembering the teen they left in the town they all grew up in.

“How did he die? And how are they sure he is dead, if they did not find the body?”

“According to the police report the trail leads to a lake. They found the killer there, killed two man. Heads bust in and dragged to the bottom of the lake. I’m willing to bet it was some kind of seacreature.”

“A seacreature that far from the shore?”

“Yeah, maybe like a sweetwater kind? The lake variant.”

“God I can’t believe this conversation actually makes sense.” shaking his head chuckling, he looks at his friend on the other side of the world.

“Yeah well I’m just glad you finally found the balls the tell me about everything after you left for England.”

“Yeah…” Cringing back at the reminder of all the lies he told he apologises again.

“Anyway, I was thinking of maybe heading up there? Pay respects.” 

Nodding Jackson looks at his friend. Without words they already knew they would be going together. Jackson owes his life to the dead teen, the least they could do was attend the funeral.

\----

When they Hales finally make their way into Beacon Hills it is the morning of the funeral. They find the town filled with all kinds of creatures. But instead of being there to harm the town and its people, they have come to mourn a loud mouthed sarcastic teen. With wonder they look around. Look at what their pack, no, family member has done. Has meant to all these people to come to his funeral. 

Upon arriving to the McCall residency, to inform the pack of their presence and mourn with them for their fallen member they notice something is amiss. 

No one is home.

Upon breaking into the house, the lack of scent is like a slap in the face. Where Stiles’ scent was once part of the house, there is now no trace to be found of it. Deep integrated scents that had been applied for such a long time usually took months, sometimes years to fully disappear. Why had Stiles not been around more? Where did his scent go? That was not the only scent that seemed to be missing though. Scott hasn’t been in his room for over a week, maybe two or three. Neither had the rest of the ragtack group of misfits. Had Scott been kidnapped or, eaten, as well? Had the others? 

The thought of their Stiles being eaten still makes them slightly nauseous. When they move to leave and ask around town, they stumble upon Melissa at the door. She doesn’t even blink when she sees them. Uncaring of the fact that they broke in.

“Good, you guys made it in time. He would have liked you to be there.” she looks exhausted and sadness take up a large part of her scent.

“Melissa, where is Scott? We know he hasn’t been in the house for over a week.” When the woman hesitates before answering, a sense of foreboding creeps up his spine. Something is wrong, and whatever it is. It was not going to be pretty.

“The pack, they, they left. For a vacation. The year was finally over, and they thought they deserved a break. Stiles wasn’t with them. I, I called. I don’t think he was invited Derek. I’m not even sure anymore if my son cares that his best friend is dead.” With that Melissa breaks down and he wraps her in his arms. The pack was gone? Without, without Stiles? Uncaring? How dare he. He left Stiles in McCalls care. Told him to look after the human before he left. He told him! How could, how- 

Then he thinks back to Gerard and the pool and yeah. He could. It wasn’t the first time the crooked jaw boy has broken his trust. He thought he cared about his best friend. Apparently, he was wrong. 

When Melissa has finally calmed down again, they are sitting on the couch. There are steaming mugs of tea on the table. Peter, Cora and Malia are occupying the other seats in the room. After taking a sip of her tea she looks around. Looks at this little family that has already lost so much.

“Melissa, what happened? How did this happen? Please, we-. No, I need to know.” Looking at the young man next to her and the people surrounding her she steels herself and start talking.

“The car was found on a Tuesday…..”

\----

“So, I just called Lydia.”

“How did it go?”

“Oh you know, she is still mad about me leaving to London. Trying to get me jealous by talking about   
her latest conquest.”

“…..She know you started swinging the other way?”

“…..No.” Shaking his head about his friends cowardice, Danny asks,

“What did she say about Stiles? Did she tell you how he really died?”

“She said, and I quote: ‘What the hell are you talking about. Stop wasting my time with that useless spaz’ before going on about some guy named Jordan.” His friend answers in a flat tone.

“Wait what. That, that doesn’t sound right.”

“I don’t think she knows Danny. About him. Being, you know, dead.” It is silent for a minute before he adds,

“She said he was a killer.”

“You sure?” Nodding Jackson grabbed his suitcase. While the pair walked towards the exit of the airport they pondered over the words. Danny knew Lydia never liked the other boy. Still, something must have happened to get her this openly hostile.

“Do you think it’s true?”

“If he killed someone?” Humming an affirmative he looked at his friend. Jacksons eyes were unfocused while he thought about the question. Thinking back to his time as kanima, some could argue that he was a murderer as well. Even if he had no control over his body at the time. Hell, he was not even aware what was happening to him back then. Stiles had known though. The teen had saved him, even though he used to bully him.

“If he did, I’m sure he had a good reason for it. He voted for my life when I was still the kanima. Even if killing me would have saved them all a lot of trouble and I bullied him for years.”

Ignoring the last comment Danny tries to defend the girl. “What if she doesn’t know the full story?” Even in his own ears the excuse sounded half baked.

“She wouldn’t care.” With that in mind they both get into the taxi heading for Beacon Hills and the funeral. Warily noting the number of cars going the same way.

\----

In the meantime, deep under the surface, Stiles is slowly learning Seahissing, or watertalk (he still doesn’t know what to call it). And in so, slowly starts to understand what happened.

“We- we were driven out of our home by hunters and came upon this place a few weeks into our travels.

One day father was gone really long, and I thought the hunters had caught him, but I still had hope he would come back to me.” a shaky breath “He did, but he was… different.” The boy whispered with downcast eyes. “He was saying all this stuff. About how he did everything because he loved me. That he was proud of me. I was so confused.” A lone tear escaped Shan’s eye and Stiles wondered how tears still worked underwater. He wondered how long it had been since someone had been kind to this boy.

“For a few days nothing happened, and I had almost forgotten until one night- until one night he told me to stay inside and not to come out until he said I could.” It was silent for a long while after that, and Stiles got a dark feeling inside, something bad was going to happen. He knew that this must have been shortly before he was kidnapped and the father of this boy, the man who kidnapped him, wasn’t absent because he neglected his child.

“I was never good at following orders.”

_When Shan came back to their cave the second day after the new moon, he found it empty. Again. Remembering his father’s words from yesterday he looked around the lake._

_He was bored._

_And so, he decided to explore. Maybe his father had found a new and special place and wanted to keep it a suprise! He knew he wasn’t supposed to leave the lake, it never ended well for him when he went against father’s wishes, but he was just. So, so bored.  
Shan wasn’t a great listener.   
Especially when he was curious.   
Or didn’t agree with his father’s reasoning.   
Or, you know, saw something shiny.   
Yeah…. Anyway. He set out to find his father. Knowing the older mer had taken the lower passages heading south, he quickly swam down. _

_When he finally found him hours later it was to an unexpected sight. His farther had wrapped his arms around something light skinned. The strange thing was slowly growing scales and he could see the sliths were his gills were placed. _

_It looked like a freshly turned._

_Unfortunately, his arrival had not gone unnoticed. For when he finally looked op from the unknown creature, is was to find his farther staring at him. _

_“I’m sorry sir, I was worried about you.” Hoping to make it slightly better he looked down.   
After a long silence the man finally replied to him. “Son, meet….” sight “…. This is our ticket to a safe passage out of these waters.” Horrified the young shifter looks up. That sounded a lot like they were using this person, to- to- to trade! Did he really make such a mess that they had to resort to such things? Or- or was he getting replaced? He never meant to be such a horrible son to his father. Was he really not wanted? He knew he was a burden, he always got into problems, even if he didn’t mean to! He just, he was not as fast, or strong. Maybe father was right, no self respecting man would want such a weak son._

_“Where will they go?” _

_“To the cave two lefts of where you were supposed to stay, there is a smaller room in there. That will be his space for the time being. You will guard him, feed him, and not speak a single word to him.” they weren’t leaving yet? More important, what was so special about this person that they were the solution to a problem he did not know existed? (but probably caused)_

_“Yes father” Just as the pair is about to transfer the freshly turned, an almost unnoticeable tremor goes through the rocks. Startling the younger of the two. _

_“What are you waiting for? Hurry up.” Muttering about annoying bastards the older doesn’t notice when a second trilling goes through the rocks. Slightly stronger this time. _

_“Dad, where did all the fish go.” At the scared sound of his sons voice he turns around. Ready to berate him for wasting their time when he looks behind the boy. Something is moving rapidly their way. It does not look friendly. In does not look friendly at all. Nor does it sound friendly. _

_“Shan, move! Go!” _

_“Wha-“ _

_“NOW!” shoving the kidnappee in his son’s arms, he pushes the boy to one of the tunnels _

_“I will be right behind you.” With that he turns around. Ready to defend his offspring. _

_Turning around Shan shoots the tunnels in. Only to find out that he cannot use the smallest ones with the extra baggage. Turning around at the sound of screams and crushed bones, the smell of blood reaches his nose. _

_Papa is dead. _

_Instead of swimming further inside the tunnels, Shan quickly decides to swim upwards towards dry land and move towards a different water from up there. While swiftly manoeuvring between the passages to get there, another trilling goes through the rocks. Making pieces of rubble fall down. He has finally wrestled the unconscious body on the land when he can see a dark mass moving towards the surface. Turning around he gathers the manlike creature in his arms and starts running. When he turns around, he sees a long tentacle moving out of the water and heading their way. Deciding to zigzag between trees to avoid getting caught he moves further and further land inwards. Stumbling over a tree root and turning around he notices nothing is behind him. _

_Whatever that was, it can’t move on land. Placing that piece of information firmly on the forefront of his mind he sets course for the den. He made a promise and intents to keep it. Even if father will never know. _

Hearing the story brings Stiles a great deal of relieve. Not only was this boy not the one who had kidnapped him. But the initial kidnapper was most likely very, very dead. To top it off, the were had a way to avoid being eaten, even if that meant going on land. Which his body very much did not agree with. Instinctively knowing changing forms at this point would be very painful, especially since his scales were still growing. Not that it mattered if it was a choice between being eaten and not being eaten. 

Right, Stiles, get your head in the game. Looking at the boy who had recently lost his father, and possibly his last living family member, he starts thinking of what they should do next. They cannot go back. Which meant that they have to find a new home. 

“Know any nice caves around here?” 

“Wait…. You, you are not mad? That I disobeyed orders?” 

“Sweetie, if you hadn’t, I would be dead right know. I kind of like being alive. Most of the time.” He had muttered the last part and was glad the boy didn’t seem to have noticed his words. 

“Not really? I mean. We have not been here for very long and I wasn’t allowed to explore a lot.” 

“I’m sure a curious boy like you has ventured out here before.” With a mischievous look they both grin to each other before bursting out laughing. 

Moving to find a new nest the two start sharing stories. It is the most fun both of them have had in a long while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> he you know what is really fun to do?  
leave comments  
hmmm the sweet sweet feeling of leaving comments


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Begin notes:  
Hiii, I hope everyones is doing well in this brand-new-fresly-showered year.  
First of all, I’d like to thank everyone who sent me kudos and comments. They are my drive. They motivate me, the remind me of things I would otherwise forget (I in no way mean the sheriff with this thank you the collector). They bring me new ideas.
> 
> sailorcat, it’s not exactly what you asked for, but I hope you like it.

The funeral is a beautiful ceremony. Many have kind words to say about the boy.

Fallen warrior, 

Friend, 

Saviour, 

Pack mate, 

Family member, 

Loved one. 

When the empty casket is lowered into the ground no one says a word about the tears that are shed. The memorial lasts throughout the entire night. Contacts are exchanged, stories told, alcohol consumed. Apparently, he had found a diet for a wendigo, a substitution of human blood for vamps, had helped in negotiations between many disputes, and delivered information time after time to save those in need. 

The sheriff stands silent and rigid next to the empty, closed casket. His eyes are red, but no tears make their way down his face. His breath smells like alcohol and he swayed when he walked up the hill. Next to him stands Melissa and a few deputy’s and friends. Most of them stand a little further away, some believe he did not do enough, some find it too uncomfortable to stand too close for too long. Sending condolences before walking away again. The supernatural among them stand a little farther off, none of them offer condolences. Not even the Hales. When the speeches begin the man does not make a move forward. No matter how insistent Melissa gets. She does speak. She speaks for a boy she loved like a son, a boy she will mourn like a son. When the first shovel of dirt is thrown on the box of wood a sob racks through the man’s body. 

He is gone before the casket is covered in dirt, leaving Melissa alone.

\---

It is about two and a half hours after the casket was lowered in the ground when the Hales leave the graveyard and head towards the loft. There, they regroup and take a moment to mourn without prying eyes, before heading back into town for the memorial.

It is roughly three hours after the casket was lowered in the ground when the McCall pack rolls back into town. 

The teens are shocked with the number of supernatural creatures that are suddenly, and without their permission, in _their_ town. That amount of supernatural and, well, almost everyone else, are appalled. Offended that these people who call themselves Stiles’ friends were not only safe and sound, instead of taken/eaten as well, which is what some had thought. No, they were also unforgivingly late for the funeral. A funeral that was set at a later date, so that as many people that wanted to come could make it. 

However, it is the McCall alpha that makes the first move, followed by his pack he heads towards the centre of a group of visitors and demand answers. Standing tall, with an arrogant look on his face the alpha and his pack look at the people invading their territory. He gets laughed in the face. And then they get angry.

“If you are the alpha, how could you let this happen.”

“How can you let someone die on your watch.”

“Pretty impressive dead count for an alpha who claims not to kill. Do the citizens of this town just fall down dead themselves? Or is it a repercussion of your indecision to handle things.”

“How come he never spoke of you.”

“Where were you.”

“These woods are not claimed by you or yours. They are still loyal to the Hales.”

“What. What did you just say?” All the Hales are watching the dryad that just spoke. She only smiles at them before disappearing back in the crowd.

With more insults following, the young pack is quickly overwhelmed with the amount of hostility that is being poured over them. With a last “Run little wolves. Run.” they quickly turn around a go for a quick retreat and head out to regroup at the loft. Like they usually do.

In all the chaos none of them notice two familiar boys standing at the edge of the crowd.

\---

When they finally get there they all quickly enter, only to find it locked behind their backs. Nervously they turn around.

“Did you really think I was just going to let you use my home. Use it like you _own_ it. You might be a true alpha McCall, not that I know why anyone would make you one, but this is still Hale territory. This is still _my_ building, _my_ property, _my_ house.” With a gulp the young alpha stands a little firmer, trying to assert his dominance. He has just opened his mouth when he is cut off again.__

_ _“I trusted you. I asked you, to take care of him. To make sure he did not get hurt. TO PROTECT HIM.” Derek roars. Seeing the fury in the other alphas eyes half the pack takes a step back._ _

_ _“And what did you do little wolf? Hmmm.” This time its Peter that speaks. Appearing from behind them, like the creep that he is. A look around tells them that Malia is on the stairs, Peter by the window and Cora is standing in the entrance of the kitchen while Derek is still in front of the door. Surrounded, they are surrounded. _ _

_ _Moving toward McCall Derek grabs the boy by the collar and throws him into one of the support pillars. Stepping towards the teen, he grabs him by the neck and elevates him in the air, keeping the boy’s back pressed to the pillar. Claws slowly drawing blood. That is when Lydia steps up._ _

_ _“We didn’t know. He has been distant lately.”_ _

_ _“And whose fault is that oh strawberry goddess.” There is so much sarcasm in Cora’s voice even Lydia is taken aback. _ _

_ _“He admired you. Loved you. And what did you do? Used him when needed and then discarded him like a used toy?”_ _

_ _“Pack takes care of each other. He thought you were his. Why couldn’t he be yours?”_ _

_ _Pushing Derek back the bitten wolf yells out “He is just human. Humans don’t belong in packs.” the words are followed by a deafening silence._ _

_ _The enraged roar from their leader made Mason take a step back. Followed by Corey. When they look at Liam, they see his war, joining his friends or staying with his alpha. The alpha who bit him._ _

_ _“Don’t you dare step back Liam.” With red eyes and alpha voice Scott looks at his beta who immediately drops down and shows his throat. Helpless against his alpha’s command. With disgust the Hales look at the display. How anyone could have thought the ex-asthmatic teen could have been a good leader had clearly been wrong. As if sensing their revulsion, the group takes that moment to grab their leader and high tail it out of the building, moving in a wide circle around the enraged Hales. _ _

_ _Leaving Mason and Corey behind._ _

_ _

_ _“I didn’t know it was this bad.” Turning towards Mason the born wolves all simultaneously raise their eyebrows. _ _

_ _“Biting that boy is one of the biggest mistakes of my life. Granted, I was crazy at the time and bit the first human I came across. Should have killed him before I died.” Even though he mumbles the last part Corey and Mason still hear him. Sharing a look they gulp. Surely they just misheard right? _ _

_ _“If you had, Stiles would have hated you and you know it Peter.” _ _

_ _“I guess you are right. Now why are you two still here? Hmm? Don’t you young people have better things to do then hang around older wolves in abandoned areas?” The last part elicits a growl from his nephew._ _

_ _Taking a deep breath Mason tries to find the right words before blurting out: “He saved my life once.”_ _

_ _This immediately gets everyone’s attention and they set around him more comfortable, determined to hear the story._ _

_ _“He made me promise not to tell anyone. But I guess… since he is dead now it doesn’t matter anymore. I, I was captured by these hunters. The bad kind. And Stiles. Stiles was hanging on the opposite wall. Bloody and unconscious when they brought me in. That’s. That is when they started the, the questions. About the pack. But Stiles, he woke up. Started taunting them, distracting them. I… I don’t know what he did but about an hour after the hunters left, Stiles did something with his hands. I could hear the bones crunch and then suddenly he was on the floor. Cutting me loose, taking the lead and helping me escape.” Taking a deep breath Mason looks up at the others with tears in his eyes._ _

_ _“I know he killed those hunters. I saw him do it. He probably went back after he fixed my cuts to finish the job. It looked so routine for him. Not, not just the killing. The escaping. Like he got captured a lot.” _ _

_ _When Mason is finished, he is sobbing, and Corey’s arms are around him. The loft is dead silent. Trying to process the words they just heard, trying to compare Masons’ story with the boy they knew._ _

_ _“I know he is not good for Liam. He is changing him, he always had anger problems, but now? They are only getting worse. I mean, don’t get me wrong, he is better at controlling them. But they are coming more often, and the control only makes them worse.” With that said they both silently leave the loft. Leaving the Hales to their thoughts._ _

_ _

_ _\---_ _

_ _

_ _On midnight Nira climbs on a small platform, grabbing the attention of the surrounding people. _ _

_ _“Stiles was like a long lost cousin to me. He taught me more than I could ever dream to teach him. Tomorrow there will be a hunt. A hunt for the creature that killed him. That ate him.” Angry noises raise from the crowd when she shouts those last words._ _

_ _“Any who would like to join are welcome. Let’s kill the thing!” with that she raises a bottle of liquor and the party joins her. Yelling agreements. _ _

_ _

_ _Tonight they celebrate his life_ _

_ _

_ _Tomorrow they avenge the fallen._ _

_ _

_ _At first light the woods are filled with all kinds of creatures, bloodlust hanging heavy in the air_ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo, what are you’re thoughts? Do you think they should be harder of softer towards each other? Do they deserve another chance? 
> 
> I’m also thinking of writing Kira in here, because I like her. However, I have no idea how. She doesn’t fit in the storyline yet.


	12. authors note

hiii guys

i know its depressing to see those words, so first of all: dont worry, i am planning on finishing this

I'm going to change the beginning and circumstances around Stiles' kidnapping. The overal of the story is going to be the same but i don't like the beginning. Haven't for a while, and everytime I had to continue a scene with that in it shit got akward real fast and yeah…. i'm not capable of writing that.

The reason I'm saying this now and not earlier (considering how long I have been struggling with this) is because I finally have an alternive scenario!

I was talking about this story with a good friend about a week (maybe two?) ago and she gave me some ideas which helped a lot.

So I will be coming back, however I'm can't say a date since I'm awfull with deadlines (a disaster waiting to happen)

If you have any ideas, thoughts, curiousities, things you'd like to see. Don't hesitate in telling me please! I can't promise I'll do anything with it but I'm always looking for inspiration. 

I want to thank everyone who has commented/ gave kudos/ read this story. I hope you liked it. it makes my day better everytime to now you're out there


	13. chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> changes are in the notes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> guess who's back??? 
> 
> alright so that was a pretty easy one, i'll admit
> 
> i hope everyone is save and healthy out there!!
> 
> the biggest changes are in chapters 1, 2, 6, 7 and 10. However i edited the rest of the chapters as well, go me! 
> 
> now that that's behind, can i get a shout out to sophiewagentje??? she is an awsome friend who let me vent and helped me solve some loopholes  
girl, you are amazing <3
> 
> i feel like im forgetting something here...…
> 
> ooohh fun fact, my initial goal was reaching 20k  
which we just did…. guess im celebrating

“Alright let’s start this meeting.”

“Wait, Theo isn’t here yet.”

“Late again?”

\-----

During the memorial the research had continued, and they were fairly confident to say that it was not going to be an easy hunt. Good thing they had all the extra manpower then. The thing living in the lake seemed to be a baby kraken. How it had ended up so far land inwards? No one knew, but they did know that if it continued to grow it would run out of food and start attacking more and more. 

The morning after the memorial everyone who was still in town and wanted to join the hunt congregated at the edge of the town, next to the ‘your leaving Beacon Hills’ sign.

After all the information has been exchanged, they headed along the trail. Making it to the crash site and into the ravine. Many pat the blue jeep along the way and gave it kind words, knowing what it meant to Stiles. When they make it to the point where the trail takes a turn into the forest everyone falls silent. It is almost eerie, how such a big group of people can travel without sound. 

\----

“so, are we staying too?”

“It would be rude not to.”

“Besides,” Teayang adds “this is a great way to make allies. You may even find yourself a lady friend or gentleman.” 

Kira flushes, thinking about the lighter haired girl that was always around one of the Hales when she saw her.

“Teayang, you do know that this girl has dated the McCall alpha right.”

“…Or maybe not.”

\-----

They don’t find the monster on their first try. It is a day filled with walking, hunting, using all their senses, and trying not to attack one of the many hunters and supernaturals around them. Tension hangs high in the air and everyone is quick to snap back with the slightest provocation. It is a day ending in disappointment and loss.

When Derek finally goes to sleep that night, or more accurately, early in the morning he dreams about the woods again. Walking around slowly he notices the silence that simmers between the trees. Like a mist that refuses to disappear. The animals are silent and hidden in their homes, the trees somehow look darker, more twisted. It reminds him of that scene in Disney’s Snow White, when she runs away from the Huntsman and thinks the woods are out to kill her. He isn’t afraid of course, he is a strong capable alpha, he doesn’t get afraid. At least not outwardly. Besides, it is a dream, nothing can happen to you in a dream. Should he even be this aware that he is dreaming? Taking off in a half run he tries to shake the strange feeling and those thought away, huffing at the irony of him running like some damsel in distress like the princess in the movie. Unfortunately, he seems to be running into the wrong directions because the now the mist is not theoretical anymore. In fact, it seems to come up almost unnaturally fast. Becoming thicker and thicker. 

Turning around he tries to run back only to find himself lost. Walking around in circles he tries to find something to orientate himself with when the mist becomes too much. It is starting to feel like it is chocking him and his wolf is starting to panic. Taking of in the first direction his paws take him he starts running. Hoping, and praying that this dream, or nightmare will end soon so he can wake up and escape into some wolfsbane laced alcohol.

\---

The visiting supernaturals do not take kindly to the McCall pack refusing to join the hunt. Saying that they aren’t killers and that everyone should leave.

Like he could do anything about it.

Like he _would_ do anything about it.

\-----

When they come home from the third fruitless day of hunting for the monster none of them had never heard of before, they are all exhausted and ready to collapse on the couch and not stand up for the next five hours. Which is exactly what they did after carefully locking the door since there were way too many unknown creatures in town to forget about basic safety measures. Even though the couch was not all that comfortable or made for this amount of people, the four Hales were out like a light within seconds, all snuggled together (no Stiles it was not a puppy pile). 

It does not take long for Derek’s heartbeat to rise again nor for his muscles to tense up. Making him make involuntary twitches every now and then while his wolf is running in his dreamscape. Trapped in the mist once more and trying to find a way out before it decides to choke him again.

Unfortunately for the other Hales on the couch, and specifically the one next to him, this also means that his movements are becoming bigger. It isn’t long before Cora is awake and trying to escape her brother’s movements, muttering about stupid brothers with stupid dreams disturbing her much needed beauty sleep. It is not until she fully takes in his pained expression, raised heartbeat and hitched breathing, that she figures something is wrong. Moving back, she tries to wake him up before he wakes the rest of them. 

Experience had taught her that both, but especially Malia could be particularly vicious when woken up. It isn’t working however and the expression on her brother’s face worsens, along with the rest of him. Making the other two wake up as well.

“Get your foot off of my legs you tainted piece of shit before I cut them off.” Not even looking at her uncle she gives him a slap before forcefully moving his head towards her brother.

“I can’t get him to wake up.”

“Let me hit him for waking me up.” Not waiting for a response, the girl climbs over her father and punches her cousin in the face, hard. Making him wake up with a jolt, which results in Malia falling backwards, Peter smashing his head on the couch, Cora getting pushed on the floor with Malia on top of her and a whole lot of limbs hitting a whole lot of persons. 

“Thanks Derbear, just what I was going for.”

\----

Kira had not been expecting the animosity towards her former pack and friends. She had not been expecting it at all. Then again, she had also not expected them to be late to the funeral. She had thought Scott and Stiles were brothers. If that is what brothers were like than she was glad to be an only child.

\----

The fourth day of their search does not go much better than the ones before, but the family members all have the self-preservation this time to move themselves to some beds before they fall asleep. Not wanting a repeat of last time.

Not that it seems to matter when around three in the morning they all wake up from the terror running through their pack bonds. Heading towards the room it came from they saw Derek laying twisted up in sheets gasping for air. Rushing to his sides they proceeded to wake him, something which finally happened after a tense fifteen minutes. Changing concerned looks they all pile in the bed around Derek, smothering him in pack to help him sleep. 

All of them took the news of the dead teen hard. But it seems like it hit Derek a little harder.

\---

“Uhm, what are you doing?”

“Isn’t it obvious.”

“The candles didn’t really clue me in unfortunately.” getting a glare for the sarcasm the beta gulps and backs up. That banshee was terrifying.

“It has been a year today since Allison…” _died, was killed, got murdered_ “joined her ancestors.” The alpha replies in Lydia’s stead.

\----

The dreams were not getting better. In fact, they were getting worse. Every time he fell asleep the mist was waiting for him. Ready to choke him. Safe with the knowledge that his pack will wake him up before he really chokes, he tries a different approach one night and runs straight into the mist. Going as fast as he can before he runs out of oxygen. It feels like he has been going for hours and his muscles are screaming with the lack of oxygen when something changes. 

It is not the presence he felt when these dreams first started, not exactly. However, it is something. Letting out a low grow he ploughs on. Trying to find where that presence is coming from. Trying to figure out who it is.

\---

“I’m getting worried about Derek, these dreams… something is not right about them. And they are only getting worse.”

\---

It has been almost been two weeks since the funeral and people are getting more restless by the day. About half of the people who had initially joined the hunt have already left the area to take care of their own businesses that they left behind. Others just lost their motivation after such a long time. This leaves a small, but motivated group behind. Filled with hunters, Hales, locals, and some others. There is no McCall member to be seen between them. 

Like a silent agreement no one says anything about it, but it is obvious people are mad at the group of teenagers. Not only because they were supposed to be Stiles’ friends. But also because Scott McCall is supposed to be the true alpha holding the territory they were staying in. The territory they were hunting in, without him to see if they weren’t plotting his demise. And frankly, the only reason nothing untowards or bad had happened yet, was out of respect to Stiles. 

That and the Hales with their strong eyebrow game and menacing glares.

\---

“Does anyone know where Theo is? This is the third meeting he has not showed up at.” Everybody looks at each other when they hear those words and silence rings in the room. 

Being prompted by Scott’s glare Liam finally responds, “He said something about going to investigate some of these people that came to town for the funeral the last time I spoke to him. Maybe he got caught up in that?”

“Hhmmm.”

\-----

The dreams have slowly been changing, he is not sure if it is for the better or the worse, but he is willing to see it out till the end. The new presence is still there but changing as well. The further he gets in his dreamscape, the more familiar it starts to feel. Not quite like it first was, before it disappeared, but familiar. Like it is someone he has met years ago, and their scents have changed but there is still that little bit in the core that stayed the same. It is slowly driving him mad. 

His mood is not helped by their unlucky searches in the woods either. Especially since no one, not even the naturally water orientated creatures, are willing to dive into the lake. Which means that they are stuck watching all of them and hoping It will come out so they can kill it. Every couple days, a sound rises from somewhere in the woods, but when they make it to the site all that greets them is some water. The most infuriating part of this is that it is never at the same place. Since krakens are supposed to become massive, and even the baby one they encountered was already quite proportional, and they are incapable of surviving on land the question to how it moved had been plaguing everyone’s minds. Till the point the craziest theories were made up. None of them seemed rather likely and it became more frustrating by the day. What if there was not one, but a whole colony of those creatures hiding in the lakes? 

\---

Stiles wishes he was dreaming about the playful wolves in the woods again, even if that face at the end had been a little too painful-familiar. Unfortunately, he only dreams of being chased these days. Well, guess that’s good oll ptsd for you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so you just read either 2k or the entire 20k, so what did you think? 
> 
> *pokes your tummie* 
> 
> gonna share those thoughts?


	14. chapter 13

When he opens his eyes there is a promising feeling in his chest. This time he will catch the other, it does not matter that he might have started to enjoy their game, because this will be the night when they will finally meet. This is the night when Derek will finally catch him/her/them. Taking off in a slow jog he starts exploring the woods he is in, trying to see if he can recognise where he is in the dreamscape. He has finally found the clearing where he was trying to eat a bunny the other night when he feels it again. Not turning around this time he jogs ahead, already feeling the other watching him. After a while, the feeling starts to fade away, resulting in frustration, because, what if they had lost interest? That was not supposed to happen. He decides to make a big loop and head back towards the bunny clearing, he does not make it two miles into his plan when he feels It again. 

Watching him. 

Smirking internally, he slows his stride. Keeping his senses to the max and looking around. It must be somewhere here. If only…… there! Turning course, he has not made three steps before he wakes up violently.

\----

About a week after they were attacked and had to flee their cave, they are nicely settled into their new home. It is not as nice as the former, but it is safe. And that is what matters. Neither of them knows how long it would be before It came back, and that was not something that Stiles liked to think about. 

Although he had not planned on basically adopting the young mer, he did not regret it one bit. He was not just going to leave the boy behind now.

Unfortunately, their new lake was not as rich with food as the former, forcing them to venture further and further out to gather and hunt for edible food. With all that traveling and searching it was bound to go wrong one day. 

Which it did a few days later when they apparently took the wrong turn.

It was there. Right there. In front of them. 

Sleeping. 

Breathing.

Smelling them. 

Waking up.

It was waking up. 

Shit shit shit, they had to go. They had to go _now_. 

They turned around as fast as they could, swimming through the smallest passageways as they tried to get as far away as possible. Which was, unfortunately, not at all that fast, considering Stiles’ still fairly recent change in limbs. 

Shan, knowing that they could not go up, lest they jeopardize Stiles health, tried to push Stiles in front of him to make him go faster. This unfortunately resulted in the born mer getting hit against his fin himself. His cry of pain from the impact alerted Stiles of what had happened, and the older of the two quickly turned around and grabbed the injured boy, pushing them both to the surface. 

Swimming faster than ever before, they turned and twisted and slipped between openings heading upwards. He had just thrown Shan on the land when he got hit as well. Turning around and grabbing everything in reach he escaped the tentacle that was trying to grab him and shimmied fully on land. 

On land, where his limbs were suddenly freezing. Burning spider webs were growing on his legsarmstorso_everywhere_, spreading outward and inward at the same time. His spine seemed to shrink in on itself, _ he couldn’t breathe. _  
This, however, did not deter him from heading towards the younger boy to try and see the damage The Thing had caused in the water. It was then that the kraken reached the surface as well. 

Letting out a terrifying screech it reached for Shan again. Before it could reach its target, Stiles jumped forward and pushed the boy away. In this act however, he had forgotten about one minor detail, namely that he was now the prime target of the creature hunting them. 

He could only avoid so many of the tentacles before he was grabbed.

He was fending them off left and right with numb arms and only half cooperating legs when he felt one of the tentacles fully embrace his middle. Quickly lifting him in the air before he could get a proper hold on something, and starting to squeeze. Leaving him out of breath and forcing the inside of his stomach to meet the outside. Making his bones _shift_. Another side effect of his capture was that the tentacle was wet. Making stiles, who was only partly turned back, wet again Making his body fight a war over which side to change towards. 

While the tentacle moved towards the middle of the lake, the monster itself rose upwards to properly greet Stiles like a good murderer does, and created a wave of water in doing so. Which in turn helped Stiles´ body decide which form to pick. Looking downwards through the pain of changing back Stiles could see water making way for a giant mouth with teeth shining in the afternoon sun, still dripping with water ready for a tasty treat.

Somewhere a voice that sounded a lot like Shan was shouting at him to do…. to do something, _anything _.

He did not know what to do, how could he escape? In mere seconds he would be hanging right above his fate and then even escaping would not work anymore because he would just _fall in_ then.

_Shining teeth staring at him mockingly, foul breath making him want to gag. _

Stiles had been okay with dying for a long time now, had accepted that he would probably not make it past twenty if he even reached that. He had made his piece with this fact. However, he was not alone anymore, he had Shan now, and Shan did not have anyone else either. At least not anywhere close, and even if he had, Beacon Hills and surrounding areas were not safe for travel.

He could not leave his little brother all alone now, could he? 

With renewed energy he starts struggling, trying to slip out of its grasp before it was too late. While getting closer to his final destination he could feel something starting to struggle under his skin, getting more and more insistent the closer he got. It was shifting under his broken bones. Sharpening. Trying to escape. 

He breathed in, _focus_, held his breath, _hold it, let it build_, breathed out, _let it go_. 

With that he let go of the feeling and pain exploded, turning is already wavering vision white. His skin broke and scales hardened, cutting into the restraining limb that started to fully encase him for his struggles in trying to escape.

He could feel it loosening, letting more oxygen into his lungs before something slammed into his side. Hard. 

Suddenly he was surrounded by water again, being dragged by whatever just slammed into him, towards dry land? Gathering every little bit of energy that was left in him Stiles opened his eyes.

All he saw was green.

\----

It is another three days before the hunting party finally hears it, on the other side of the preserve. This time, the screeching is joined by another sound. A scream. When they finally find it, it is the strangest site any of them has ever walked up to.

When Derek and the rest of the group made it to the lake where the sound came from, he saw something monstrous trying to eat what looked like a mix between a fish and a human, and seeing the amount of blood that seemed to be coming from the tentacle that was holding this…. creature. It either was a very sharp fish-human or the fish-human was very much bleeding to death. Luckily, or unluckily, seemed to be a bit of both. He had no idea how fish could be sharp, but it was a good thing since it was probably the only thing protecting the creature from certain dead. Looking around the clearing he saw another - this time naked and very much human - boy on the shore on the other side of the lake. Another shifter? Blood clinging to his legs, and steadily dripping down while trying to get up and do… something? Try and help the other? Flee? Not that he could do either of those things, with those red coloured legs of his. 

By then hunters had started shooting at the monster while the supernatural around them chose a more hands-on approach. He did not join them. Instead he kept running, he did not know who the fish-human was, but no one deserved to become dinner. Even worse, he could see the way the tentacles around the captive were shifting, loosening. The small shifter was going to fall to their dead if he was not fast enough. _Fall into the mouth to become an afternoon snack why did these things always happen in Beacon Hills?_

He had almost reached the lake when the tentacle lost the last of its grip and the other suddenly started grasping around for something to hold onto.

There was not anything except the retreating tentacle.

They were too late.

They were falling.

Falling forward.

Into the mouth.

Without thought Derek sprinted even faster before putting everything in his jump and catapulting himself forward. Heading straight for the fish-human and knocking them out off course and towards the safemouthless waters. His back scraped the edge of teeth on his way down before his body was surrounded by turbulent waters. Quickly opening his eyes and letting a bit of air escape to see what was up and what was down, he snatched the fish by the arm and headed for land before the monster caught on and his efforts were for nothing. 

While the others of the hunting party were still fighting It, Derek threw himself and the other on shore. Catching his breath while also crawling backwards and dragging the other, he heard someone scream his name. He did not care, they were safe.

When they were far enough away from the lake, he finally had the chance to take a good look at the now more human looking fish-human. Apparently being out of the water made the scales disappear underneath skin. Slowly, oh so slowly, scales made way for skin and what Derek saw made his breath rush out of his lungs.

The boy’s stomach was black and blue, his torso twisted strangely. Painfully. Like his spine was bent too far. His entire body was swiftly turning a myriad of colours to compliment the ones that were already there, broadcasting his bruises and internal damage for all to see. Upon closer inspection he thought he even saw some bone at a few places. What was not covered in bruises was covered in scars and moles. Eyes like whiskey were looking at him with a hazy look. Hair brown. Nose turned upward just so. Lips slightly parted.

He knew this boy. 

Before he could do anything, say anything, someone shoved him out of the way. Crouching protectively over Stiles. It was the boy who had been laying bloody on the other side of the lake when they arrived. 

Continuously looking at him, the others from the party and back at the lake, the boy started dragging Stiles with him further land inwards. While getting up to try and stop them he noticed the mist that seemed to come up out of nowhere. 

Hiding them from view. 

Walking into it he could not find them. They were gone. Stiles was gone again.

(If the mist looked a lot like the one from his dreams than that was something between him and him alone.)

\----

“What the hell were you thinking! Huh? Trying to play hero. You could have been killed! Don’t think I did not notice the blood on its teeth. The blood on your back! What if you had been a little lower or later? What then? I cannot lose any more family Derek! I won’t!” 

“Cora,”

“No Derek. Stiles was right. You need to stop this. No more stupid decisions remember? You have got to take care of yourself as well.”

“Cora-“

“You’re not alone anymore! I thought I lost you before. I can’t lose you again.”

“Cor-

“You were supposed to stop with this stupid self-sacrificing bullshit! You are not alone! And YOU PROMISED! I don’t care who the fuck that was! He is not worth your death Derek!”

“CORA”

“WHAT.” She was panting from all the screaming at this point.

“That was Stiles.”

That gets the girl silent for a few second. His answer making her switch from angry lecture mode to shocked curiosity and pity.

“What do you mean that was Stiles. Stiles is dead Derek.”

“No. No, that boy had the same moles. I know it was him Cora. And by the moon, the scars Cora.  
there where so many of them. How did no one notice? How did I not notice before? It was awful.”

“What do you mean scars? And do you really think it was him?” there was a small piece of hope starting to blossom in her heart.

“Yes.” he takes a deep breath, “I did not say this before, but when I collapsed back in Mexico, I heard someone scream. And ever since I have been having almost the same dream. I am running in the forest and someone else is there as well. I can never find them. No matter how hard, or how far I run. But the closer we got to Beacon Hills, the more I could feel the presence of the other, like it was more defined. After, after the funeral, they changed. That mist you saw after I jumped? That was there as well. I think the presence may have been Stiles.”

She remembered the strange dreams her brother has been having these past few weeks. How could she not?

“And you did not think you should have mentioned that earlier?”

“….”

“Ugh fine, but what about the scars?”

“Well he got kidnapped before, right? You heard Mason.”

“Right...” 

Silence falls over the room. Both of them thinking back to that story. Now that Derek had seen the physical evidence of what Mason had told them, he cannot help but blame himself for not noticing sooner, for not staying. Even if leaving had been good for him. Both physically and mentally, getting to know his sister all over again. 

“What has got you two looking like that?” Peter is still cleaning his hands on a towel when he walks into the room.

“Derek thinks Stiles is still alive.”

“What.” Peter tone is flat, and he is blinking at them looking stunned. The words make Malia storm in after her father, almost knocking the man over.

“I know he is. He was the one almost being eaten by that kraken. And I think he was the reason I collapsed in back in South-America.”

“But, that would mean…” the words sound almost frightened as they escaped the coyote’s mouth.

“That Stiles was kidnapped about three days before they found the car.” answers Peter his daughter. They are all looking at each other with a bit of disgust. Stiles had been missing three days before his car was found? How could they let this happen?

“I have to go back out there. I have to find him.”

“Yes, we should. But we are going to keep this between us. No need to get peoples hope up. Not when McCall and our dear sheriff never even noticed he was missing.” 

Everyone hears the disgust in the older wolf’s voice when he talks about the pack and the sheriff. 

With one last look between them they start planning.

\---

Shan has no idea who all these weird looking humans and maybe not humans are that appeared out of nowhere, nor did he know why one of them with the sharp teeth and fingers would jump right over the hunters mouth and nock Stiles out of it. He did not know, and he did not trust it, no one ever did anything for nothing. Although Stiles might just be the exception of that rule, the only exception.

So, he did what he did best and got them out of there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *its next ot you and showes words at you*
> 
> *wriggles eyebrows*
> 
> "so what do you think?"


	15. chapter 14

When Shan turns around there is a clearing with an enormous tree-stump in it where before there were only trees. The stump is calling to him, like a heartbeat thrumming through his veins, telling him to come closer. Somehow it feels good, well not good, but… protective, of those it deems his. And stiles is one of his. Maybe it can help?

“Stiles? Stiles is that good?”

“What.” was the grumbled response. Bleary eyes filled with pain find their way to his face.

“The stump. Is the tree-stump good?” Stiles head lolls to the side and he looks at the tree that caused him so much trouble.

“Well it cannot be much worse.” when the boy makes an inquiring sound he sights, or rather attempts to with his broken body.

“Yeah its good.”

The moment Shan lays the man down, the mist seems to get thicker and he blearily blinks his eyes open. Sleep suddenly calling to him to drag him down.

\-----

Before he even opens his eyes, he knows he is somewhere else. The floor is hard and unforgiving underneath him, it is cold and he cannot feel any ridges under his fingers. Concrete? That is not the strangest part about it though. No, the strangest part is that he can feel his legs. As in more than one. As in two legs and not a tail. Even more, they are clothed, just like the rest of him. 

With a groan he opens his eyes. The room he is in is white, an all compassing white, stretching out as far as he can see. No matter how many times he turns, or how many times he blinks his eyes. The room stays white, big, and empty. Looking down he finally notices the clothes he is wearing; it is the same outfit he wore when he left Beacon Hills. The outfit that got ruined in the crash, and probably did not survive his kidnapping. A shame, really, he liked this t-shirt. When he looks up again there is a tree stump in front of him. He should have known. After all, he has been here before, has he not? When they did the ritual to save their parents, and when he was trapped by the nogitsune. 

Walking forward he sits down on the stump, rationalizing in his mind that whatever brought him here could damn well show up themselves. It is not long before he slumps sideways into a deep, deep sleep.

\-----

When he wakes again up there are fingers softly going through his hair and he is not sure where he is.

“Mom?” A sharp intake of breath wakes him fully and he shoots up with a bolt. This is not his mother, his mother is death. Or it is his mother and he is death too. But then why would he still be in this white room. And why would they react like that? Turning around he notices a woman in her mid to late twenties. She has dark brown hair that reaches her ribs, her eyes are green and there is something familiar to them. Actually, there is something familiar to all of her. From her cheekbones to her long eyelashes to the way she holds herself. Stiles just cannot point down from what, nor can he remember ever meeting her, and he would remember meeting someone this pretty.

“Who are you?”

“Ah come on, don’t you recognise me? Hmm?” there is a playful glint in her eyes when she answers him. Frowning his eyebrows, he squints at the woman. She does look really familiar. Wait, familiar? What if…

“Laura? Laura Hale?” of course it would be a Hale, it is always something with those Hales and how could he not have recognised those eyebrows earlier?

“’We got a winner.” Smirking from cheek to cheek with a predatory glint in her eyes she points fingerguns at him.

“But what, how, I mean” spluttering to form words he cannot do much more than gape at her.

“Close your mouth sweetie, or you’re going to catch flies.” Closing them with a snap, a memory of the nogistune fly takes over his mind. A shiver goes through his spine and he glares at her.

“What do you want? Why am I here?”

“Hmm, you really are a smart cookie. Can’t a girl visit the person that caught her little brothers eyes?”

When he just gapes at her she cackles and throws her head back.

\----

Upon the first sunrays reaching the clearing, Shan finally wakes from his deep sleep. Stiles is still out cold. Silently watching while the sun rises, he almost does not notice that the light has almost reach the stump, has almost reached Stiles. And he would not have noticed such a small insignificant detail at all if the person he was watching form the corner of his eye had not woken up with a gasp the moment the light reached him.

Sputtering for air. 

Clawing at his skin and the air around him as if to try and get away.

Eyes flickering unfocused every other way.

Before he can work himself up to a full blown panic attack Shan shoves himself into Stiles’s face and tells him to breath. Which, after a while, Stiles finally manages to do.

“You’re awake” 

“Yeah I think so, what happened?”

“The monster found us. Or we found the monster. So then we tried to swim upwards to land, because last time it didn’t follow us on land. And I got hurt, and you protected me! And we made it on land but then you got hurt too… When it tried to grab me you shoved me away and got taken instead. Then it tried to eat you, and your scales got shiny. It was very pretty. And then a lot of humans and nonhumans came from the trees surrounding us, and the humans and non-humans killed the monster. You almost fell into the monsters mouth before someone pushed you out. He had sharp teeth and looked angry. I could just get you out before the first hunters got close. Sharp Teeth tried to grab you, but I was faster! You were hurt very bad. The angry land-walker tried to come closer and I ran away with your body. Then there was mist and suddenly we were here. I laid you down and you slept. That was yesterday.” The explanation was accompanied with elaborate arm gestures and a lot of flailing.

“…..”

“The landwalkers were scary.”

Stiles is staring up at the sky, trying to remember what happened and make sense of Shan’s rambling, when it all comes rushing back to him. Searching for food and making the wrong turn, feeling his spine splinter and letting lose. Falling forward yet hitting water. _Greennotgreen_ a pair of eyes staring at him.

Laura Hale.

“I don’t even know what to say. Get up here little brother.”

Shan carefully shuffles with a blush adorning his cheeks.

“Little brother?” When Stiles nods and reaches out to ruffle his hair the blush spreads from his cheeks towards the rest of his face and neck.

“Well I couldn’t just leave you there with Angry Teeth.”

“…..” 

When Stiles doesn’t say anything Shan looks at him.

“You got your thinking face on. What is it?”

“You said there were a lot of humans and supernaturals in that clearing. Did any of them have red eyes?”

“Uhm, I’m not sure? I didn’t really look.”

Squirming uncomfortable in place Shan looks down at his feet. What if Stiles knew someone with red eyes and they were there? Was it a good or bad person? What if-

“What are thinking?”

“I’m not thinking anything!”

“Shan.”

“…..Did you want there to be someone with red eyes?”

“….. I’m not sure.”

“Oh.”

Moving closer he whispers in Shan’s ear, “I’m not going anywhere without you. You’re stuck with me.” 

A small smile takes over the boy’s face before he ducks away in embarrassment.

“If I’m stuck with you then you’re stuck with me.”

With that said they settle in to watch the sunrise, Shan curled close around Stiles body on top of the tree stump.

\--- 

“Ugh finally, now that that’s taken care of these woods will finally be ours, and ours alone again.”

Corey and Mason look at each when they hear that. Something tells them that the Hales aren’t quite leaving yet.

\----

“I know you’re not telling me something.”

No one reacts

“Come on. What is it.”

“What do you care.”

“It’s about Stiles, isn’t it. you know something.”

“Again, why. Do. You. Care.”

“He saved my life. When I was stuck as the kanima. No one told me but I figured it out. I want to help. So, if you now something, tell me.” The Hales all glance at each other, communicating with their eyebrows. Whatever it is that is silently passed between them makes Peter turn towards the former kanima.

“Derek thinks Stiles is still alive.”

“I know he is.” Hisses he man in question at is uncle.

“What.” When he hears the news Jackson almost stumbles back. What the hell were they talking about? He had seen the monster, had joined the hunt. No way Stilinski had survived that thing.

“How?” Good thing he had Danny at his side to keep a clear head.

“Do you remember the one it was about to eat when we arrived?”

“The one you dived for when we were about to kill it, almost getting all of us killed in the process?  
Yeah I remember.” With a glare Derek looks at him.

“Wait, you think that was him?”

“…Yes.” It comes out almost pained.

“I don’t think that thing you saved was entirely human dude.”

“Don’t call me dude.” The words are snarled in Jacksons face.

“Okay, okay, jeez. No need to get all worked up about it.” Backing up with his hands in the air he turns to the two strange girls in the room. 

“And you are…?”

“None of your business.”

“So, Hales then.” When the darker haired girl continues to glare at him while the other ignores him he turns to the last Hale in the room.

“So Peter, if Stiles is indeed still alive. Where is he?”

“And since when do you have more family?” his friend adds.

Ignoring the last question Derek answers in his uncle’s place, “I lost him in the mist.” 

The words are mumbled and when he looks at the older wolf, the man is staring out the window towards the preserve. The silence that follows is awkward and they all yearn for a certain boy who always disrupted the silences with his mere presence.

Eventually Jackson takes a deep breath, steals one glance at his friend who nods and steals himself.

“So what are you going to do about it?”

\-----

“Guys I’m getting really worried about Theo, maybe we should set up a search or something?”

\---

When he opens his eyes, he is in the woods again. They look different this time though, more familiar. Like the woods in his dreamscape have merged a little bit with the woods he grew up in. cautiously he starts exploring and mapping the differences, in so, he starts noticing the similarities between his dreamscape and the preserve. How many there are new, and how many there already were. How did he never notice before? 

That is not the only thing though, the woods feel different this night. He did not notice it first thing, but the longer he walks the more it becomes apparent. 

He is alone.

Not <s>Stiles</s> other Presence, no woodland creatures, no whispers, no rifling leaves in a non-existing wind. 

Nothing.

This time it is with a shudder that he wakes up, and does not go back to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hii it's been a while
> 
> yes i am still planning on finishing this  
and yes you should totally send me comments  
they fuel my want to write
> 
> having said that, does anyone know any good fic recs?


End file.
